Naruto Uzumaki: Rise To Greatness
by StrikeFromTheShadows
Summary: [Poll On Profile] Obito doesn't witness Rin's death and become a major villain. He dies and is brought back with a purpose: to ensure Naruto becomes the man he is destined to be. Goal is to be somewhat original and unique. Harem Bloodline Power Smart Strong ANBU Strength Intelligent Slight AU Alternative Reality Alternate Universe Female Kurama Female Kyuubi Anko Yukimi
1. Chapter 1

_**Naruto Uzumaki: Rise To Greatness**_

**NOTICE: I have been working on a rewrite for my other fic. Sadly, I haven't been successful and I know it went into a downward spiral because I didn't know what I was doing at first. I screwed up the foundation of the story and it eventually fell apart. I will probably be removing it at some point if I can't figure something out.**

**Inspiration for this new idea came from a fic I read a while back called: Uchiha Obito, Ghost!**

**Read and review.**

_**Chapter 1: Naruto's Life Just Got Better!**_

Obito Uchiha's lifeless body lay still buried beneath fallen rocks. He had saved his teammates Kakashi and Rin from a collapsing cave but was unable to save himself. In his final moments, he gave Kakashi one of his sharingan eyes to replace the eye Kakashi had recently lost to an Iwa-nin during their attempts to rescue Rin. Obito's last request was for Kakashi to look out for her as he would no longer be able to. A promise was made as the light left Obito's eyes, never to return. In the afterlife, Obito did not receive judgment right away as there was an extremely long waiting list. Entire lives had to be accurately reviewed before a decision was made for where a soul would be sent. Such things took time.

**THIS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE 'ANGELS COME THE NARUTOVERSE' FICS**

Obito had to be brought to the 'front of the line' as the events currently in motion had brought the world into chaos. Order needed to be regained and a soul like his was needed for the tasks at hand. He was brought before a beautiful woman wearing white robes who simply stared at him in consideration. Light appeared to be shining on her, fitting of a stereotypical divine being. Understanding the situation, Obito lowered his head and awaited judgment. A few moments had passed before the woman spoke, **"Obito Uchiha, you have a kind soul. Taking your Uchiha lineage into consideration, it's remarkable. We do not usually interfere with mortal affairs but an exception is required every now and then. That is why I have chosen you for a very important task..."** Obito's eyes widened at the news but remained silent.

The woman paused for a moment to let her words sink in and continued, "**in recent events, the nine tailed fox demon has fought against the village of Konoha, ultimately leading to many deaths including Minato Namikaze who had an important role in keeping the balance. Your task is to protect and befriend his son Naruto Uzumaki. He has a soul much like your own but even more pure. Minato sealed the nine tails within him at the cost of his own life in an effort to save Konoha. However, there is much more to the 'attack' then they know. I will give you that knowledge shortly. Here are your instructions..."**

_** "Do not let Naruto become corrupt or let harm befall him as he has been given a great burden to bear and is of great importance. You will be given the tools necessary to complete this 'mission'. When you succeed, you will be awarded accordingly. Failure is not an option. Now, I believe it is time to make you aware of the specifics of what you will gain upon your departure from the afterlife. You will receive knowledge on how to use your sharingan to the max potential and will be invulnerable to damage from any mortal..."**_

_Naruto's Apartment Age 5_

Obito was not sent back to the land of the living right away as there was a lot of preparation that needed to be made before he could return. He was sent directly into Naruto's apartment to ensure he wouldn't have any trouble finding him. It probably wouldn't have mattered though as Obito was unlikely to miss the resemblance between his old teacher Minato and his son, especially with the knowledge of the identities of Naruto's parents.

Some of the preparations included giving Obito information on several important events that hadn't happened yet so he could be better prepared for when they did. The divine woman did not want to leave anything to chance so she made sure he was well informed. She even made a point to be improve Obito's maturity so that he would be up for the task. It took time for him to become 'satisfactory' which was why he had been brought back years after the 'incident' with the Kyuubi. He was glad to note that she had replaced his missing sharingan.

Naruto was sleeping so Obito decided not to disturb him and look around instead. The apartment looked as if it had been built at least a hundred years ago and was in desperate need of repairs. Unfortunately, the apartment itself wasn't the only thing that could use an upgrade. Naruto's furniture of lack any of was depressing. Something would have to be done about that as soon as possible. Poor kid only had one chair. It was as if he never expected any visitors. After making a few observations, Obito sat down and waited. As a 'spiritual being', he had no need for sleep. The perfect guard.

The next morning Naruto rubbed his eyes sleepily until he noticed Obito sitting down on the only chair in the rundown apartment. His eyes widened and he began to quiver in fright. "P-please don't hurt me, mister," the child begged. The plea made Obito frown. If you ignore the fact that he had, in a way broken into Naruto's apartment and such a reaction could be expected, it was pretty sad. Obito shook his head to refocus and addressed Naruto, "It's okay. My name is Obito Uchiha. I'm here to help you," he said with a kind smile.

The boy's eyes widened in shock and he adopted a look of confusion. "h-help me," he asked, earning only a simple nod in response. After a brief pause, Obito noticed the boy's fear so he continued his explanation. "If I were here to kill you, I would have done so already. I'm going to teach you so that you can be a ninja but I want you to keep my teachings a secret for now, alright?" The boy brightened up instantly and nodded with enthusiasm.

Once Naruto had calmed down, Obito decided to move forward with things. "Naruto, what do you know about the nine tails," he asked. The boy took an exaggerated thinking pose as he touched his chin. After a moment, he spoke. "The fourth Hokage died defeating it and saved the village," he said proudly. Obito rose an eyebrow at the description that was only accurate because it was so vague. He activated his sharingan and brought both himself and Naruto into a dark sewer with standing water. The change in scenery startled Naruto but was calmed down by Obito as he placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Don't worry, you're safe with me," he soothed. Naruto visibly relaxed and asked, "where are we?"

**AN: Does anyone know a Beta-reader that can finish the same day? Only like 1k words or something though. Nothing too long.**

_**LAST EDITED 5/6/2014**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Naruto Uzumaki: Rise To Greatness**_

_...He activated his sharingan and brought both himself and Naruto into a dark sewer with standing water. The change in scenery startled Naruto but was calmed down by Obito as he placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Don't worry, you're safe with me," he soothed. Naruto visibly relaxed and asked, "where are we?"_

**Read and review.**

_**Chapter 2: Meeting Kurama**_

_Naruto's Mindscape_

The two soon found themselves standing before a beautiful woman that had dark orange eyes to match her two fox ears and nine fox tails swaying slowly, in an almost sad fashion at the sight of Naruto. She was wearing a white dress but the straps just couldn't seem to stay on which revealed that she didn't seem to be wearing a bra. The only unattractive sight was the giant cage that housed her and the chains around her ankles. A trickle of blood ran down Obito's nose but it went unnoticed as he was quick to wipe it away.

**AN: There's a picture on my profile if anyone wants to see.**

The fox woman began to tear up. She looked torn. It was like she desperately wanted to say something but couldn't bring herself to do it. Finally, she noticed a second visitor and her eyes narrowed. **"**_**Uchiha**_**. Why have you come here,"** she demanded. Obito quickly held his hands up defensively in hopes of not being seen as a threat. "Kurama, I know the truth about how you got here and let me tell you... It's one hell of a mistake even if it is the most hilarious one I've ever seen..." This only served to create further tension between the two as suspicions arose. Luckily, the voice of an innocent child was enough to de-escalate the situation. "Obito, who's that lady?"

All hostilities ceased momentarily and the fox woman turned to Naruto. **"I am Kurama. The nine tailed fox demon."** Naruto's eyes widened and mouth opened slightly in surprise. "b-But you don't look l-like a demon... I'm the only d-demon here," he said sadly. A single tear fell from Kurama's eye as she shook her head rapidly. **"You're no demon. It's... my fault you have had a hard life... It's because... I'm sealed inside you... I'm... Sorry..."** she said as she looked down, unable to even maintain eye contact. The boy frowned. "Don't be sad, lady. I forgive you." he sat down in the water and continued, "Close your eyes and think of the most pretty thing you can imagine. It always helps me feel better so I'm sure it will help you too." Naruto gave a demonstration and the sewer began to change.

A forest began to appear around them and the sewer dried up. Small animals could be seen exploring their 'new home'. The cage and the chains disappeared and became a collar instead. It was now a beautiful place of nature. Kurama had a look of disbelief. With the cage gone she could no longer contain herself and enveloped Naruto in a hug which he was surprised to receive. **"Naruto, I want you to sign to demon fox summoning contract. I would feel much better if I knew you had protection."** Obito decided to make his presence known once more. "Hey! That's my job," he protested. At the sound of his voice the fox woman released Naruto and became alert. **"You? Don't make me laugh **_**Uchiha**_**. There's no way I'd entrust something so important to you. I know all about your **_**clan**_**."** Obito frowned and decided it would be best if he informed her of the situation.

Maybe he should start playing a recording of himself explaining his situation so he wouldn't have to continue to repeat himself hundreds of times in the future. "I am Obito Uchiha. I was brought back to life by some divine being to protect Naruto and it is my mission to do so. You don't need to consider me a threat. Let's compromise. I will guard Naruto alongside whichever demon foxes you choose to protect him. Since I know the truth about you, whoever you trust with this task will be good enough for me. I know you don't intend to harm Naruto." Kurama seemed to consider the offer. **"That seems reasonable. However, I don't trust you **_**Uchiha**_**. I will be verifying this information immediately. Divine God!"** she called and the same white robed woman from before appeared. **"The claim Obito Uchiha has made today is indeed true. You **_**will**_** work alongside him... You may be a demon queen but that does not give you the authority to interfere with a mission **_**I**_** assigned... and Kurama... You know how busy I am. Next time you need a simple verification, call upon someone else." **With that the divine woman was gone just as quickly as she arrived.

The newly revealed demon queen released a breath she was unaware she was holding and decided to quickly change the subject, before anyone noticed her unease. It was unbefitting of a being of her status. **"Naruto," **she called snapping the boy out of a trancelike state, probably caused by the nature of the events he had witnessed in such rapid succession. **"I want you to sign your name in blood and become the first summoner of the fox demons. Since you have yet to receive training I will be supplying the chakra for your summons. However, I do expect you to handle things on your own once you are able to do so."**

Naruto was a bit worried. Kurama expected him to write with his own blood. An idea frightening to a five year old. Luckily, Obito noticed the boy's distress and figured that it would be best to elaborate on the situation. "You wont need a lot of blood so don't worry. You'll also have to make a blood offering when you summon and it's common for ninja to get it from their thumb." The kid seemed relieved that he wasn't going to be cut open and bit his thumb in an almost animalistic manner.

Since Obito knew the handsigns for the summoning jutsu, he decided that he would be the one to teach it to Naruto. It wouldn't effect him anyway as he didn't have a contract. Once the contract was sloppily signed, Obito moved forward. As he took Naruto back to reality, Kurama regained a sad look. _**You are to young to know the whole truth. I know you have forgiven me now but I truly hope it remains that way when you are old enough to fully understand... Damn you, Jiraiya. Your perverted activities went too far...**_

_**LAST EDITED 5/6/2014**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Naruto Uzumaki: Rise To Greatness**_

_**...You are to young to know the whole truth. I know you have forgiven me now but I truly hope it remains that way when you are old enough to fully understand... Damn you, Jiraiya. Your perverted activities went too far...**_

**Read and review.**

_**Chapter 3: Paying The Third Hokage A Visit**_

_Naruto's Apartment_

The two found themselves back in Naruto's apartment. Naruto looked to Obito for instructions. As if on cue, Obito spoke. "Naruto, it's time for you to test out your summoning contract. Do exactly as I do," He bit his thumb and went through the hand signs, "Boar, dog, bird, monkey, ram. Summoning jutsu! ...Nothing will appear when I use this jutsu since I don't have a summoning contract but you get the idea... why don't you give it a try," he suggested. Naruto nodded and repeated the process.

A cloud of red smoke appeared signifying the use of chakra from the nine tails. As the smoke cleared four demon foxes of various sizes were visible. Two had six tails and two had four tails. Obito looked pleased with the level of protection Naruto would receive. "Naruto, I need to get the Hokage on board with our 'situation'. It will make things much easier for us. I'm going to go see him." The boy smiled brightly. "Old man Hokage? I'm going too," he declared.

Obito sighed in resignation. He didn't have the heart to ruin the child's excitement. He activated his sharingan in order to use the Kamui but three members of the ANBU alongside the third broke into Naruto's apartment. They must have detected the use of demonic chakra. Their masks were of a dog, cat, and bear. Three ANBU members that would treat Naruto fairly. The one with a dog mask seemed to freeze up at the sight of Obito. The one with a cat mask drew a katana and dropped into a stance. The one with a bear mask saw the fox demons and went through a few handsigns. wood began to shoot forward but Hiruzen held his hand up, effectively stopping the attack.

"Hey, old man," Naruto called happily. The third wanted to address the threat level before making a rash decision. The four fox demons could pose a huge problem, should conflict arise. This was one of those fights you would want to avoid if at all possible. One of the six tailed foxes spoke, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. **"Do not be alarmed, Hokage. We have been assigned to protect the kit. We have no desire to test your village in battle." **The three ANBU members seemed a bit relieved but the third remained stoic. "My forces can protect Naruto just fine. I would appreciate it if you would leave without incident."

The six tailed fox tilted his head. **"We would not be here if your forces were keeping the kit safe in an effective manner." **He looked toward the ANBU. **"Our mere presence causes tension... I do not want you to have the wrong idea. We are not here as hostiles, but bodyguards. As long as nobody attempts to harm Naruto, you will have nothing to worry about. However, should anyone try anything... We will defend him with any means necessary, just as we have been ordered to do." **Sarutobi's eye's narrowed at that. If they were truly there only for Naruto's protection he would be tempted to allow them to stay. The problem was that he wasn't willing to just trust their word. Everyone knows that foxes are cunning creatures.

Besides that, the fox had said that they were ordered to protect Naruto. Since they were at the command of another, he couldn't be certain that they would not have 'other orders' whether they were already given those orders or could potentially receive them in the future. Even if the foxes were under his command, the fact remained that the council would never approve of foxes of any kind living in the village. Maybe he could work something out with whoever the orders to 'protect Naruto' came from. "I wish to speak with your leader. Would you be willing to arrange a meeting," the old Hokage asked. The six tails which was apparently in charge of the group grinned a foxy grin and nodded. He turned to Naruto and said, **"Kit, summon her." **Eyes widened in surprise at the possibilities.

A notable conclusion that could be drawn was that Naruto had signed a summoning contract and that those were demon fox summons. Which in turn would mean that Naruto was summoning the fox demon boss. Wait, what? "Summoning jutsu!" A cloud of red smoke arose once more and cleared leaving behind the same sexy fox woman from earlier. Blood began to pour from the third's nose and trickle from two of the ANBU members. The cat masked ANBU gained an anime style anger symbol and hit them all over the head. Once again, Obito secretly wiped a blood trickle of his own away. **"Third Hokage," **the fox woman called, **"I am Kurama, the nine tailed fox demon queen."**

Jiraiya had just returned to the leaf village and was on his way to the Hokage tower when there was a spike in demonic chakra. This spike was the summoning of the nine tails. Not that he knew that, though. Meeting Sarutobi would have to wait. He changed course and headed straight for Naruto's apartment. Not even using the door, he burst through the window, making the four bodyguard foxes take a defensive position around Naruto. The protective reaction was indeed noticed by the Third but just like his ANBU members, he was speechless in the presence of the nine tails. A ninja of Jiraiya's caliber should have noticed the hostility in the room and reacted accordingly but instead, he only noticed the 'sexy cosplay chick' and grinned perversely. "Why don't you come with me back to my hotel room so we can have some fun?"

The fox four as they will now be known as began to growl but were silenced when a malicious aura washed over the room, making those present shiver. **"YOU DARE SHOW YOURSELF AFTER WHAT YOU DID?" **The question caused some confusion because it didn't appear that Jiraiya's current attitude was the cause of the nine tail's ire. Things would probably be cleared up when she continued. **"Cover the kit's ears," **she ordered. "I have a better idea," the long silent Obito said. He activated his Kamui and disappeared with Naruto in a swirling portal, too fast for even the ANBU to react. Satisfied, Kurama continued and pointed and accusing finger at the pervert. **"The bastard stole my panties! I heard he was in Konoha so I transformed into my fox form and rushed over so I could punish the pervert. It's much faster traveling that way. Only, I couldn't find him! Then the stupid Konoha ninja decided to attack me! I was only defending myself," **she said and crossed her arms.

The action changed the 'view' of her breasts making the already mesmerized Jiraiya begin to drool. It was as if he wasn't listening or even focusing on anything else at all. The third wiped a trickle of blood away and began to take a few steps back. The dog and bear masked ANBU seemed to be doing the same. However, for some reason, the cat masked ANBU appeared to be joining Kurama who was stalking toward Jiraiya in an anti-pervert rage. Once they began to pummel him he snapped out of his 'trance'. The familiar feeling of women attacking him told him he was caught doing something he shouldn't.

A poof of smoke later Jiraiya was gone, making the two women huff in annoyance. The third cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention. "If what you say is true, Konoha offers its sincerest apologies. Upon verification of this information I will allow all of you to stay, even if the village council doesn't agree. For now, you may have temporary residence here. Consider it a leap of faith." Kurama nodded. The old man was reasonable even if he was a pervert. Though, not as big of a pervert as Jiraiya. Besides, it was in the leaf's best interest to avoid making enemies with her if possible. **"Very well. Now, if you'll excuse me... I've got a pervert to catch. Would you like to join me, cat," **the fox woman asked. The cat masked ANBU smiled evilly. It was a good thing her face was covered or the men would have certainly paled. "Of course. I'd like to invite a few friends who are just as tired of that pervert as we are to help. You don't mind, right?" the two women unleashed a simultaneous evil laugh and Kurama grinned. **"No, not at all."**

**AN: Still looking for that specific beta reader unless said otherwise (details on the bottom of the first chapter)**

_**LAST EDITED 5/6/2014**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Naruto Uzumaki: Rise To Greatness**_

_**...Now, if you'll excuse me... I've got a pervert to catch. Would you like to join me, cat," the **__fox woman asked. The cat masked ANBU smiled evilly. It was a good thing her face was covered or the men would have certainly paled. "Of course. I'd like to invite a few friends who are just as tired of that pervert as we are to help. You don't mind, right?" the two women unleashed a simultaneous evil laugh and Kurama grinned. __**"No, not at all."**_

**Read and review.**

_**Chapter 4: Not Everyone Likes Naruto**_

The fox woman and cat ANBU gathered just about _every_ _woman_ in the leaf village. Not even Jiraiya could evade such numbers. He was pummeled mercilessly and almost died. The mob of women decided to just leave him there. None of them were willing to take him to the hospital, so Jiraiya was lucky to see the over enthusiastic Might Gai. Noting the 'unyouthful beating', He brought Jiraiya to the hospital in a rush _of youth_. Once Jiraiya was conscience, the third was able to question him, which in turn verified Kurama's story. Damn pervert.

_Hokage's Office_

Obito appeared in the third's office, stepping out of a swirling portal. Hiruzen held a hand up to stop the ANBU from attacking. "I saw you in Naruto's apartment before. Who are you," he demanded. Obito groaned. He knew this would happen. He could only hope the third would believe him. "Obito Uchiha," he said simply. The third shook his head. "I may be old, but I am not a fool. Obito Uchiha died years ago and gave an eye to Kakashi. You have both eyes. Remove the henge. Now," he ordered sternly.

Obito frowned and decided to disagree. "But I am Obito Uchiha... I've come to help Naruto Uzumaki..." the ANBU's swords stabbed straight into Obito, not liking the thought of someone actually wanting to help the demon brat. Sarutobi couldn't always have 'Naruto supporting ANBU' around as there were very few. There was a short pause as everyone waited for the 'henge' to fade and when it didn't, Obito began to chuckle. "Lord third, you should really have better control of those under your command." Eyes widened and one of the ANBU elicited barely audible gasp. Those were killing blows after all but Obito appeared unharmed.

The ANBU drew their swords back from Obito's body and Saratobi held his hand up to halt a follow up attack. "If Obito had somehow survived on the day he supposedly met his demise, he would be older. You simply can't be him," The third rationalized. Obito groaned in annoyance and pulled out a tape recorder. "This is the last time I say this because the next time I have to explain it, I will have a recording to play." There was a clicking sound as Obito started the recording and began to speak. "I did die years ago. In the afterlife when I was facing judgment, I was given the task of protecting Naruto Uzumaki. Apparently, his role in life is so important that divine beings interfered and to be certain I can complete my task, I was granted invulnerability," he finished and stopped the recording.

There was a minute of silence as nobody could believe what they had heard. Finally, Hiruzen broke the silence. "can you prove that you are who you say you are," he asked skeptically. Obito thought for a moment and shrugged. "I was teammates with Kakashi and Rin. Taught by Minato Namikaze. I pushed Kakashi out of the way of falling rocks that I wasn't able to evade afterwards. I suppose knowing those specifics doesn't really prove anything but I'm sure Kakashi would be able to tell. If you call him in, he would verify my identity. For now, I can further prove my invulnerability. Have one of them cut off my head," he suggested. One of the ANBU attempted just that without waiting for an order. The blade passed right through his neck in a similar fashion to the previous stab wounds.

The third shook his head in disbelief and addressed an ANBU member. "Bring Kakashi here immediately. Make sure he isn't late." A monotonous response of "yes, third Hokage," was heard followed by a swirl of leaves. The next few minutes were a bit awkward but Kakashi was eventually brought into the office by the ANBU, via shunshin. Kakashi groaned at having to be on time but asked, "what can I do for you, lord Hokage? " When Hiruzen didn't respond he began to look around the room until he noticed the 'guest'.

The Uchiha smiled and Kakashi's one visible eye widened in shock. Sarutobi turned to Kakashi and asked, "is this really Obito?" The man seemed frozen in place, almost as if he were lost in another world. He nodded slowly but said nothing. The third frowned. Would he ever get any straight answers? "How can you tell?" There was a moment of silence before a simple answer of, "I just can."

Normally, that wouldn't be enough information for Hiruzen to just accept things but so much strange things had been happening recently so he decided to just go along with it. "Very well. Obito, what can I do for you?" The different attitude was a bit surprising but a welcome change. "Lord Hokage," Obito began, "I have a proposition for you... But first, would you replace your guards with some that approve of Naruto? I would feel much better if I didn't have to worry about anyone trying to interfere with my attempts to improve his life." That was an understandable agreement. "ANBU, bring me cat and bear. You're dismissed," the old Kage said.

There was a reluctant grumble along with two clouds of smoke signaling departure. Moments later there were two new notable chakra signatures in the room. Now that the arrangements had been made, it was time to continue the discussion. "Lord Hokage, I have some knowledge on future events that aren't of concern at the moment. I would be willing to share such information with you. In exchange, I only ask that you allow me to teach Naruto unhindered. Just so you know, I am going to help Naruto no matter what, I just figure that it will be easier to do so with your permission." Wow. This Obito person was bold. Talking to the Hokage like that, he must have a death wish. Oh wait..

_**LAST EDITED 5/6/2014**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Naruto Uzumaki: Rise To Greatness**_

_...Lord Hokage, I have some knowledge on future events that aren't of concern at the moment. I would be willing to share such information with you. In exchange, I only ask that you allow me to teach Naruto unhindered. Just so you know, I am going to help Naruto no matter what, I just figure that it will be easier to do so with your permission." Wow. This Obito person was bold. Talking to the Hokage like that, he must have a death wish. Oh wait.._

**AN: I'm going to make the people from Kakashi's generation younger so that there will be potential opportunities for pairing any of the women with Naruto later on. I can either just lower their ages without anything to support such a change or make them born a little later in the timeline... Though if I were to do the latter, it may change the timeline a little too much and make it difficult to set some things up a certain way... So, I'm probably just going to lower their ages...**

**Read and review.**

_**Chapter 5: Trading Intel**_

_Hokage's Office_

The third's eyes narrowed. He may have approved of people that supported Naruto but he could have done without that last declaration. "Obito Uchiha, I have one question. Where do your loyalties lie?" Depending on the answer, Hiruzen would either be discussing terms with Obito or searching for a way to eliminate him.

The ANBU members tensed in anticipation of the Uchiha's answer. "I'm not a part of another village, if that's what you're asking. I will support Konoha as long as Naruto remains a part of it." Hiruzen would have liked to hear that Obito would follow the Hokage's orders as a former Konoha-nin. However, his answer was acceptable.

Once that was out of the way, The old Kage decided to 'humor' Obito. "What is your information in regards to? I cannot accept intel as a currency without knowing how much value it may have." Obito nodded. He had figured as much. The old man was smart. He intended to receive information without promising anything in return.

Perhaps Obito was giving him too much credit but that was doubtful. He would have to choose his words carefully. "The intel I wish to share is specifics on an upcoming kidnapping of the Hyuuga heiress." There was a quiet gasp from the cat masked ANBU. This was a big deal after all and even more so if the information was accurate.

If Obito was responsible for keeping the heiress of such a powerful and influential clan safe, it was bound to have a positive effect later on. He would be able to count on their political support which would go a long way as there weren't likely to be many members on the village council that supported Naruto. The Hyuuga could be a powerful ally. Besides that, if he could prevent Neji from becoming a fate obsessed bastard, even better.

Things were beyond the point where Hiruzen could refuse Obito. Not that he had planned to prevent someone from helping Naruto, he just couldn't let such valuable intel slip by him, especially considering what was at stake. "Very well. You will be allowed to tutor Naruto in exchange for your information. The two ANBU present will watch over you to make sure you do not intend to turn Naruto against us. If your information proves to be accurate, I would be willing to continue similar transactions in the future. However, if the information isn't legit, there will be consequences."

The third released some killing intent for good measure but Obito just shrugged it off like it was nothing. "In this situation, there is much more to be gained from telling the truth than there is from lying." Obito didn't have a problem with having those particular two ANBU around because they didn't hold anything against Naruto and were among the few that would treat Naruto fairly. He was sure that Hiruzen knew that he did have a point and seemed to agree with his response. Now that an agreement had been made, it was time for Obito to hold up his end of the deal.

"One week from now, Kumo will send a ninja to Konoha to sign a peace treaty. However, their true plans are to take the Hyuuga heiress in hopes of producing a new Hyuuga clan in their village. Now that you'll be able to 'see it coming', they shouldn't have any chance for success. In addition, do not have the ninja Kumo sends killed. Upon doing so, they will demand the death of the Hyuuga clan head, alongside his body in retribution for the loss of one of their own with the threat of war if you do not comply. You can be sure that they will deny having any connection to the ninja's actions." The revelation was a jaw-dropper. Kumo was the only village that could hope to challenge Konoha. To learn that they would be the ones behind the upcoming kidnapping attempt was not only shocking but also very problematic.

If it were just some slave ring organization, they wouldn't pose much of a threat and could easily be dealt with. Kumo, on the other hand could actually get away with making demands of Konoha, even after having the audacity to pull such a stunt. They were not to be taken lightly. If Konoha ended up going to war with Kumo, the casualties on both sides would leave them open to attack from opportunistic village leaders, such as the old 'fence sitter' from Iwa. That would be bad. War with Kumo would best be avoided if at all possible.

**AN: If anything is ever unclear to you for whatever reason, do not hesitate to contact me through a review or a pm and ask about it. I will do my best to explain whatever it is and it may help me avoid similar mistakes in the future. Keep in mind that I'm not able to directly respond to guest reviews.**

**I am aware that the kidnapping doesn't happen this early in the timeline (a couple years later, if I remember correctly) but I saw this as a good opportunity to make use of that event.**

_**LAST EDITED 5/6/2014**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Naruto Uzumaki: Rise To Greatness**_

_..."One week from now, Kumo will send a ninja to Konoha to sign a peace treaty. However, their true plans are to take the Hyuuga heiress in hopes of producing a new Hyuuga clan in their village. Now that you'll be able to 'see it coming', they shouldn't have any chance for success. In addition, do not have the ninja Kumo sends killed. Upon doing so, they will demand the death of the Hyuuga clan head, alongside his body in retribution for the loss of one of their own with the threat of war if you do not comply. You can be sure that they will deny having any connection to the ninja's actions."_

**Read and review.**

_**Chapter 6: Kumo's Disgraceful Act**_

During the week before the kidnapping, Obito taught Naruto how to read and write. The boy learned exceptionally fast and was already several years ahead of those his age. He was eager to learn and absorbed everything with enthusiasm. In another week or so, Obito planned to add an additional subject or two, whatever felt necessary. At the very least, he would be sure to teach Naruto basic mathematics.

On the day of the kidnapping, the Hyuuga clan compound seemed more empty than usual but in reality, there were numerous guards assigned to watch over Hinata from the shadows. The 'diplomat' that Kumo had sent already had a meeting with the Hokage to discuss terms of the treaty and was currently staying in a hotel while things were finalized.

It was the perfect opportunity for a covert operation. At least, it would have been if the leaf village wasn't expecting it. The man left the hotel late that night with the cover of darkness. Less people are around then compared to during the day, after all. He arrived at the Hyuuga compound without incident and made his way inside. Seeing no resistance, he searched for Hinata's room. It was only identifiable because each room was labeled. Wouldn't want any visitors to get confused.

The Kumo-nin crept into the room and stalked over to the bed. He could see an outline of the child that slept there so everything appeared to be going well. The man reached for the corner of the blankets and yanked them off but to his surprise, what he found wasn't a sleeping girl! In fact, it wasn't a person at all! The guards that had been hidden so until now were upon him in seconds, not giving him enough time to recover from the shock. His chakra points were sealed and he was restrained.

_Hokage's Office_

Hiruzen was pleased. Thanks to the intel he had obtained from Obito, the Hyuuga heiress was safe, among other things. Since things were successful, the old man called in his lead strategist Shikaku Nara alongside Obito in order to plan their next move. "Obito, I wish to hear your opinion on the best course of action to take." He didn't consult the Nara. That was something new.

It was the perfect chance. If Obito could come up with a logical solution, it could earn him 'points' with the village leader and he might have more chances to sway the old man's decisions later on. "Send me to inform the Raikage of today's outcome. I will request that they admit to their actions and if they do, we will release our captive. At that point we would be in a position to reform the treaty to better suit our village as compensation. If the Raikage decides to deny any involvement, they would be expected to execute the ninja that attempted such an act. The 'head ninja' is important to Kumo so they wont want to kill him."

The third looked to Shikaku with an obvious unspoken task. Try to find holes in Obito's logic. "What if the Raikage decides to take an aggressive approach? Kumo is unlikely to submit to us so easily. They are the only village that can rival our own, after all." Sarutobi frowned. His teammates Koharu and Homura were only made advisors to keep them happy, he didn't really listen to them. Shikaku was his true advisor.

However, Hiruzen was looking for an additional advisor to join Shikaku and help him oversee major actions and had previously thought that Obito had the potential. The other day Obito helped organize the defenses for Hinata. He was looking good for the job back then but maybe it wasn't meant to be. The old man was about to abandon the idea when Obito suddenly smirked. Had the teen come up with a solution? "You're forgetting that Konoha has a new secret weapon. I may only be chunin level at the moment but if I display my unique talents, Kumo wouldn't be so quick to try anything. As long as Naruto is loyal to this village I will be as well."

It would be fair to say that the Hokage had good judgment, even in his old age. He was right to think that Obito was the right person for the position. He was young but able to see things in ways other could not. Shikaku said nothing so it was safe to assume that he couldn't find any other flaws in Obito's plan but was too troublesome to make the effort to say so.

With Obito's allegiance, Konoha had gained a powerful ally. If they could keep Naruto happy, they would be able to keep their title as the most powerful hidden village with no problems. Perhaps with that reasoning, Hiruzen would finally have a way to convince the last stubborn clan heads on the council to change. They were mostly neutral towards Naruto and only the Uchiha, Hyuuga, and Shimura clans had shown him any negativity but without an unanimous vote, nothing would change.

Recent events in mind, the Hyuuga clan head was likely to start supporting Naruto because of the debt he felt for the young Uchiha. It was now common knowledge among the higher ups that Obito had some sort of connection to Naruto and that those that didn't support him were unlikely to be on Obito's good side which was growing more and more important as he gradually obtained more influence. Hopefully, all of that would be enough.

**AN: I don't know how much sense that made.. I'm really tired.. I'm probably going to read this over sometime and become embarrassed at all of my potential mistakes.**

**For those that don't know, the Shimura clan head is Danzo.**

_**LAST EDITED 5/6/2014**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Naruto Uzumaki: Rise To Greatness**_

_...the old man called in his lead strategist Shikaku Nara alongside Obito in order to plan their next move. "Obito, I wish to hear your opinion on the best course of action to take." He didn't consult the Nara. That was something new._

_It was the perfect chance. If Obito could come up with a logical solution, it could earn him 'points' with the village leader and he might have more chances to sway the old man's decisions later on. "Send me to inform the Raikage of today's outcome. I will request that they admit to their actions and if they do, we will release our captive. At that point we would be in a position to reform the treaty to better suit our village as compensation. If the Raikage decides to deny any involvement, they would be expected to execute the ninja that attempted such an act. The 'head ninja' is important to Kumo so they wont want to kill him."_

_..."What if the Raikage decides to take an aggressive approach? Kumo is unlikely to submit to us so easily. They are the only village that can rival our own, after all."_

_...The old man was about to abandon the idea when Obito suddenly smirked. Had the teen come up with a solution? "You're forgetting that Konoha has a new secret weapon..."_

**AN: I just noticed that there haven't been any fight scenes yet so I will try to add one to this fic asap. The problem is I've never really written one...**

**Read and review.**

_**Chapter 7: Obito's Assigned A Diplomatic Mission**_

_Hokage's Office_

"This will be an A rank diplomatic mission. Leave as soon as possible." Things were going good. Obito was getting the Hokage to seek his opinion and accept his suggestions. He would be going to Kumo soon for a meeting with the Raikage. A surprise meeting. However, with a matter so important, preparations needed to be made before he took action. Obito _'collected'_ the prisoner from his cell with a sharingan dimension and went to see Naruto.

_Naruto's Apartment_

Since Obito wouldn't be around for at least a few days, he prepared a weeks worth of lessons for Naruto and instructed a six tailed fox to make sure that Naruto did what he was supposed to do. The young Uzumaki was eager and would complete the tasks without having to be instructed to do so but listening to an instructor would be a good habit to get into and would be important later. With that out of the way, there was only one more thing that Obito needed before he could leave. "Naruto, come here," he called. The boy walked over and waited expectantly. Obito activated his sharingan and took a trip to see the nine tails.

_Inside The Seal_

The fox demon queen awoke on a flower bed in the middle of her new forest-like clearing as she sensed a nearby presence. It was familiar but not quite pleasant. She hated all members of the Uchiha clan but was starting to learn that they weren't all bad. At least there were probably a few she wouldn't hate. Obito was one. As he walked over, she addressed him curiously. **"Uchiha, what brings you to my domain?"**

Obito needed to ask her a favor. Such things weren't easy because the fox woman didn't seem to like members of the Uchiha clan and was unlikely to want to do anything for him. "I wish to sign the fox demon contract." Kurama rose an eyebrow in surprise and tilted her head to the side. **"Why should I allow such a thing? Having an **_**Uchiha **_**summoner isn't something I'd take lightly." **The teen frowned at that last comment. He knew the nine tails didn't like his clan but she should be able to see that he was different...

"If I am able to summon the fox demons as Naruto does, it would help me to protect him more effectively. You might be helping him with the summons now but that isn't a permanent solution. If he becomes incapacitated, you wont be able to help him summon, and I could do so instead. I'm about to go to Kumo on a mission and if they declare war on Konoha, Naruto will be in danger. I plan to do everything in my power to prevent that from happening and if I summoned some of your kind as a show of strength, it would improve the chances of them backing down."

Kurama actually seemed to consider what Obito had said. He did make some good points, after all. **"Very well, Uchiha. I will allow it." **There was a cloud of smoke and the contract appeared. She gestured for him to sign his name and he did so in blood. The contract disappeared and the fox woman glared at Obito. **"You are not to use your sharingan on my kin. They will help you within reason but if you force them to do as you ask, you'll regret it." **Before the Uchiha could respond, he was forced out of Naruto's head.

_Naruto's Apartment_

Back in the real world, Obito suddenly grabbed his head and groaned. Naruto seemed concerned but the demon fox bodyguards didn't seem to care either way. His clan wasn't known for their kindness and hospitality but the foxes really seemed to hate all of the Uchiha clan members. Though, it was understandable considering the fact that members of the Uchiha clan had controlled them in the past and in an alternate timeline, had forced Kurama to attack Konoha, though that was irrelevant.

It would be Obito's job to show them that there are some Uchiha worthy of their friendship. Unfortunately, that would have to wait. He had an important mission that he needed to deal with. With all of the preparations complete, Obito set off toward Kumo. Normally, he would have just 'teleported' with his space/time ability, but there were a few stops he would have to make on the way.

_**LAST EDITED 5/6/2014**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Naruto Uzumaki: Rise To Greatness**_

_...Kurama actually seemed to consider what Obito had said. He did make some good points, after all. __**"Very well, Uchiha. I will allow it." **__There was a cloud of smoke and the contract appeared. She gestured for him to sign his name and he did so in blood. The contract disappeared and the fox woman glared at Obito. __**"You are not to use your sharingan on my kin. They will help you within reason but if you force them to do as you ask, you'll regret it." **__Before the Uchiha could respond, he was forced out of Naruto's head._

_...With all of the preparations complete, Obito set off toward Kumo. Normally, he would have just 'teleported' with his space/time ability, but there were a few stops he would have to make on the way._

**AN: I know that Naruto doesn't really have a big role in the story at the moment but that should change after an upcoming timeskip.**

**Read and review.**

_**Chapter 8: Detour**_

_Somewhere In The Elemental Nations_

"Summoning Jutsu!" Obito was supposed to be heading to Kumo but was making an extra stop on the way. He was searching for the last living member of a clan that had remained hidden and secretive for as long as they had been around. Obito knew the general area in which he could find the clan but not the exact location. He realized that the search would be a lot easier with the assistance of the foxes, so he decided to summon a six tailed one.

For some reason, nothing appeared as Obito preformed the summon. He assumed that he might not have enough chakra to summon a six tailed fox so he tried again, this time hoping for a four tails. The four tailed fox appeared in a cloud of smoke and took immediate notice of the Uchiha. The weird part was that Obito didn't feel drained at all. It was almost as if he hadn't used up any chakra whatsoever. **"So... I finally get to meet our new summoner... An Uchiha.." **The fox spat his clan name in disgust like it was some sort of a disease.

The mutual distaste the fox demons seemed to have for the Uchiha clan was really starting to bother Obito. After all, he wasn't like the others. "I'm not the typical Uchiha. I'd really appreciate it if you'd get to know me before you judged me. I don't intend to control you or anything... We could be friends, if you'd like." The four tails scoffed. It obviously had no desire to befriend an Uchiha.

Odd enough, the treatment Obito was receiving from the fox demons could almost be compared to the treatment Naruto got from the village. Well, that was only if you weren't counting the physical abuse that Naruto experienced prior to Obito's arrival. **"What do you want me to do?" **The fox may have ignored the Uchiha's hopes for peace but at least it got straight down to business. "I need your help tracking down the last member of the Iburi clan."

Before the nine tails was sealed within Naruto, the demon foxes were searching for people that may be worthy of their contract. In doing so they kept tabs on the different clans and notable ninja, hidden or not, in case such a person surfaced. Do to this research, the four tails knew just where to find the Iburi clan's hideout. Obito's request was simple enough and Kurama had instructed them to assist their new summoner completely, as long as it didn't go against their 'way of life' or ideals. The four tails nodded and took off with Obito following closely behind.

The last member of the Iburi clan was an eight year old girl named Yukimi. The clan had the ability to turn to smoke and had styles of combat based around that ability. Sadly, the members of the Iburi clan couldn't control their abilities very well... Because of that, they would occasionally lose control and turn into smoke by accident while the wind blew them away resulting in fatality. Once the clan was down to their last member, the spirits of the deceased combined their willpower and were able to completely stabilize and grant her control over their bloodline so that she would be able to successfully revive the clan someday.

_Iburi Clan Residence_

The four tails led Obito toward the entrance of a cave. It was a smart choice as a previous hideout with the protection it would grant from the wind. **"The girl is inside. I will take my leave." **The fox was gone in a cloud of smoke. It didn't even wait for a response. Obito sighed. He would definitely have a lot of work to do if he wanted to get the foxes to warm up to him.

Obito walked into the cave and was intercepted by a kunai that was closing in on him, carried by a small cloud. The girl was defending her home. Obito didn't react and just let the kunai go through him. There was no injury and the cloud floated toward a bigger cloud. The two gases joined together and took on human form. It was a young girl with brown hair and blue eyes. "Y-you're just like me..." The Uchiha shook his head and the girl seemed to tense. She had probably thought he was another Iburi clan member due to his intangibility. "I am Obito Uchiha. I know someone a bit younger than you that would love to have a friend. You don't have to hide here anymore. Wont you come with me? I'm sure it's pretty lonely staying here all by yourself."

The girl seemed to consider it for a moment and nodded in acceptance. Obito smiled and summoned a two tailed fox, using less chakra this time. For some reason, it still felt like he hadn't used any chakra with that summon. He thought back to when he tried to summon a six tailed fox but nothing happened, and the time when he summoned the four tailed fox but didn't feel drained at all. Taking those events into account, the only conclusion he could come to was that as long as he had the required amount of chakra, he could perform any technique without using up chakra. The two tails that Obito summoned was the size of a small horse and the little girl was looking at it curiously.

After a moment, she seemed to have hearts in her eyes as her feminine love for anything cute began to show. The fox greeted the duo. "**Uchiha. Kit. I am Isogo." **The girl began brighten up and bounced in place happily. "Isogo, please take Yukimi to Naruto's apartment and help her get situated. I will return in a few days." This fox seemed different from the others. It hadn't treated him like a curse. **"Very well. I look forward to working with you, second summoner." **Isogo laid down so that the girl could climb on. Yukimi seemed to be pretty smart for a kid. She understand the situation and got on without even needing to be asked.

"I am grateful. Not only for your assistance here, but for giving me a chance instead of judging me from the start." The fox didn't respond and rushed toward Konoha, with a cheering girl on his back. He thought back to several hours earlier. Kurama had informed all of the foxes that they had a new summoner and that it was an Uchiha and acknowledged that he was different and should be observed before a conclusion was made about him. Once the summoner's background was revealed, most of the foxes felt that it was an insult to have to assist an Uchiha after the stuff the clan had pulled in the past. However, there were a few that were able to put all of that aside for the moment. Isogo was one of them.

**AN: The Iburi never met Orochimaru so they never gained the partial control from the curse seal.**

**Kakashi and Tenzo / Yamato didn't meet Yukimi like in the Anime.**

**If I turn this into a harem fic or a mini harem, I may pair Yukimi with Naruto in the future.**

_**LAST EDITED 5/6/2014**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Naruto Uzumaki: Rise To Greatness**_

_..."I am grateful. Not only for your assistance here, but for giving me a chance instead_ _of judging me from the start." The fox didn't respond and rushed toward Konoha, with a cheering girl on his back. He thought back to several hours earlier. Kurama had informed all of the foxes that they had a new summoner and that it was an Uchiha and acknowledged that he was different and should be observed before a conclusion was made about him. Once the summoner's background was revealed, most of the foxes felt that it was an insult to have to assist an Uchiha after the stuff the clan had pulled in the past. However, there were a few that were able to put all of that aside for the moment. Isogo was one of them._

**Read and review.**

_**Chapter 9: A New Treaty**_

_Kumo Gates_

Obito had finally made it to Kumo. Normally, Konoha would have just sent a letter but the message they wanted to send would have a much greater impact if Obito was there in person. He was stopped by the gate guards as he attempted to enter which was to be expected but they seemed to be slightly worried by the Konoha headband he was wearing. Obito may not have been a ninja of the leaf anymore but it was appropriate to show the symbol of the village he supported.

"I wish to speak to the Raikage. I'm here on diplomatic business." The gate guards twitched slightly at that which went further to convince Obito of their guilt. Not that he needed proof, his 'source' was as reliable as could be. He handed them his official papers and shortly after, they were verified. One guard nodded in approval and led Obito to the Raikage tower. They were shadowed by a few BOLT-nin, Kumo's version of the ANBU. However, they disappeared once Obito was steps away from his destination. Apparently, the Raikage didn't need protection and they were just making sure Obito didn't _lose _his escort.

_Raikage Tower_

The fact that the Kumo-nin were so willing to lead a Obito to see their kage was troubling. They may have been planning something but that possibility was inconsequential, Obito couldn't be harmed after all. The Uchiha stood before a muscular dark skinned man that radiated power."What could be so important that Konoha would send a representative in person? ... What have you done with our diplomat? He should have returned by now."

Despite the initial act of 'playing dumb', the Raikage's assumption that Konoha did something to their 'head ninja' was suspicious. Obito put on the most serious facial expression he could make and decided to get started.

"I am Obito Uchiha. Allow me to list the options available to you at the moment. The first is to admit involvement in the Hyuuga kidnapping attempt. If you choose this option, we will return Kumo's head ninja alive and reform the treaty. Your second option is to deny involvement in the Hyuuga kidnapping attempt and execute said ninja that acted outside your orders and almost instigated war between our villages. Lastly, you could forsake the treaty and declare war upon the leaf. This option has the worst outcome. Both villages take heavy losses and become vulnerable to attacks from opportunistic leaders such as Ohnoki of Iwa. Wouldn't you prefer Kumo to keep their title as one of the great five?"

The Raikage actually growled. He could see that the teen was analytical to some extent to be able to tell him all that but he felt disrespected. Not only that, but it was a blow to his ego that he knew the kid was right. "I am willing to at least listen to your terms." That was good, they were making some progress. Maybe Obito wouldn't have to threaten the Raikage with his new demon fox allies.

"Arrange a political marriage to strengthen ties between our villages. Only a select few from the leaf know the truth behind the kidnapping and the same is likely true here. I recommend it stay that way in order to avoid distrust. If the two strongest hidden villages are allied, we would be unchallenged. I'm sure you can see that we have much more to gain from working together than from destroying each other."

The cloud leader blinked in surprise. He could tell the Uchiha was smart, especially for someone so young. However, that wasn't what had surprised him. There were no demands for compensation, no attempt to sway the treaty to better suit the leaf village. He seemed to really want to forgive and fix things. It was an odd experience as not many were like that in such a cruel world. "You aren't going to try to use this treaty to only better Konoha?" The teen just shook his head.

During the conversation Obito had with the third and his advisor Shikaku, he implied that he was going to improve the treaty with a show of strength and make it more beneficial for Konoha. If you read between the lines, it's nothing more than a simple threat. Originally, that was the plan but in the end Obito had decided against it. It wasn't his style and it would be better if Kumo wasn't forced into anything. They would be much more useful as allies that way.

"You are... _different_ then what I was expecting... Very well, Obito Uchiha of the leaf. I accept your terms. There is no need for me to admit that Kumo had a hand in the kidnapping attempt as you already know as much... When can I expect the return our head ninja?" Obito activated his sharingan and brought the man into the Raikage's office with his Kamui. "This is a show of good faith, you wont have to wait."

Afterwards, the Raikage signed a new treaty that his assistant had drawn up. With a small smile, Obito 'teleported' back to Konoha via dimension travel. There would be a lot to report to the Hokage.

**AN: I'm not sure if the third or fourth Raikage is in power at this point in the timeline... **

**Anyone know?**


	10. Chapter 10

_**Naruto Uzumaki: Rise To Greatness**_

_...the Raikage signed a new treaty that his assistant had drawn up. With a small smile, Obito 'teleported' back to Konoha via dimension travel. There would be a lot to report to the Hokage._

**AN: This chapter could have been dragged out a bit more to better describe everything but I thought it would be best to get this out of the way quickly so the story can actually go somewhere.**

**Read and review.**

_**Chapter 10: Hiruzen's New Advisor**_

_Hokage's Office_

The mission that the Hokage had sent Obito on was expected to take about a week so the young Uchiha's suddenly arrival in Hiruzen's office after only being gone a few days was quite the surprise. Normally, the third was against hostile negotiations but even he knew that certain situations needed to be handled with _other methods_.

The ANBU guards in the room didn't even move. By now they were getting used to Obito's abrupt appearances. "Sarutobi, the mission was a success. However, I did things differently than I had originally planned. I convinced the Raikage to ally themselves with us. We had a peaceful meeting and I suggested an arranged marriage to strengthen ties between our villages. You should keep the details on the Hyuuga incident locked up and they will do the same. It would be counterproductive to allow unease to grow."

Obito was able to pull things off without resorting to more _drastic_ measures. Hiruzen was impressed with how the teen was able to handle the mission. He did prefer to do things peacefully but it was an unexpected outcome. Especially if you consider the meeting that took place before Obito left. "I'm happy with the way things turned out. Your intuition is astounding for someone so young. I would like to offer you a position as my personal adviser, alongside Shikaku. What do you say?"

Perfect. Obito was gaining influence rather fast. Everything was coming along nicely. "I'm flattered you think so highly of me. To think that not so long ago, you almost labeled me as an enemy... It's a good thing we were able to move past that... Very well, I'll accept your offer." The old Kage frowned at the memory and stared off thoughtfully. "It's true. At first, I was considering you as a hostile... But then I realized that I would rather have you as an ally if possible." That sounds pretty similar to how Obito thought of Kumo...

"I see... Now that I've given you the mission report, I'd like to make a request... I wish to train Naruto instead of sending him to the academy. The teachers there are likely to sabotage his development. I'll have him more than ready by the time he takes his genin exam." The third seemed disappointed because he knew that his new advisor was right. The village still had a grudge over the nine tails, even though the truth came out during the 'Jiraiya incident'.

"On another matter, I recommend that you set Naruto up for the arranged marriage with someone from Kumo, once you decide to reveal his heritage. For now, you can say you have chosen someone from a prestigious clan of noble blood... Because of who he is, it makes him the perfect candidate to bring the two villages closer. Talk it over with Shikaku. ...You seem surprised, lord third..." Hiruzen's eyes had almost popped out of his head.

"...I should know by now not to underestimate your... _Resources..._ but the number of people with that information can be counted on one hand... I will allow you to train Naruto as an alternative to the academy but as a precaution, there will still have to be ANBU present. I expect monthly progress reports and I want you to be here during the discussion I have with Shikaku. The meeting will take place tomorrow morning. One more thing... Anko Mitarashi has been found. I'm sure you know of her history so I'd like to place her in your care. She would get along well with Naruto, considering their similar pasts." Obito rose an eyebrow in shock. That was unexpected.

The third had the ANBU bring the young girl into the room. She didn't speak and looked traumatized. The Uchiha shook himself out of thought and smiled at the girl. He would do his best to help with her recovery. Obito put a hand on Anko's shoulder and addressed the old Kage. "I might as well do what I can for her... I'll see you tomorrow, I have lesson planning to do," he said and the two vanished in a swirling vortex. Oddly enough, Sarutobi never noticed the paperwork blowing off the desk earlier until Obito's departure which scattered the papers even further. Irritated curses could be heard miles away.

_Naruto's Apartment_

Naruto was happy to see Obito. It was because of him that he gained a new friend. She was always cheerful and upbeat. At first, he wasn't sure how to react to her presence but had warmed up to her quickly. It turned out Yukimi needed a friend just as much as Naruto did. "Isogo, I really appreciate you staying here and helping out." The two tailed fox lowered his head and spoke. **"No problem. The kits were... Entertaining. It was time well spent. Is there anything else I can do for you?" **Obito shook his head. "No, Isogo. You've done more than enough already."

There was a cloud of smoke and the fox was gone, making Yukimi pout in disappointment. A thought suddenly crossed Obito's mind. Naruto's apartment was under constant ANBU surveillance so the third must have known that he had the fox bring the girl there... Why didn't he say anything? Plus, he put Anko under his care... Could it be a test? Obito filed those thoughts away for later. He would have to bring it up in the meeting tomorrow and explain the plans he had for the girls there also. Wouldn't want Sarutobi to think that Obito planned to train a small army and overthrow him. It probably wouldn't end well.

"Obito? Who's this?" The last Iburi had found the girl that was hiding behind the Uchiha. Anko lowered her head and grumbled something nobody was able to catch. "Yukimi, Naruto, this is Anko Mitarashi. She will be staying with us for a while. I hope the three of you can become good friends," Obito said with a bright smile. The former snake-apprentice's eyes widened. The villagers, ninja and civilian alike had been treating her badly since her recent return to the leaf. Could she really make friends?

**AN: The end of this chapter marks the start of a timeskip. Though, it would be more accurate to call it **_**'fast forwarding through the timeline'.**_

**The next few chapters will cover events that happen between now and the time Naruto becomes a genin, along with giving some information on the progress of his training.**


	11. Chapter 11

_**Naruto Uzumaki: Rise To Greatness**_

_..."Yukimi, Naruto, this is Anko Mitarashi. She will be staying with us for a while. I hope the three of you can become good friends," Obito said with a bright smile. The former snake-apprentice's eyes widened. The villagers, ninja and civilian alike had been treating her badly since her recent return to the leaf. Could she really make friends?_

**Read and review.**

_**Chapter 11: Obito Proves Himself**_

_Flashback_

_The meeting between the Hokage, Obito, and Shukaku had happened on schedule. Naruto's heritage had been discussed and the third was able to confirm that Obito knew who the boy's parents were. "As I'm sure you know, I had a young girl brought to Naruto's apartment during my mission. I have no intention of hiding anything from you, Sarutobi. She is the last of a powerful but secretive clan. The Iburi. It would be no surprise if you haven't heard of them... If all goes well, Naruto will have a hand in resurrecting three powerful clans into Konoha. The Namikaze, the Uzumaki, and the Iburi. I would appreciate it if you would keep the girl's identity a secret, in order to avoid anyone trying to exploit her."_

_ Hiruzen and his first advisor took in the information along with the request. It seemed reasonable and what the Uchiha was implying was understandable considering the darkness of humanity. "Very well, Obito. What can you tell us about her clan? Do they have a bloodline," the old Kage asked. Obito hesitated but remembered saying that he wouldn't hide anything from them. He wasn't about to straight up lie to the village leader. "The Iburi clan have the smoke release bloodline limit. It allows them access to a smoke form, much like the Hozuki clan of Kiri."_

_ That was important. It would make her a formidable opponent, at the very least. It made Hiruzen wonder why Obito was going out of his way to better the leaf. Sure he was supporting the village but not even ninja that had sworn to protect Konoha with their life were doing as much. Sounds too good to be true... Could Obito be plotting against them while pretending to help?_

_ As if reading Sarutobi's mind, Obito spoke up. "Lord third, I'm not going to try to overthrow you. You have my permission to have Inoichi look through my mind. I wont be giving him complete access but he should be able to make an accurate determination of my intentions with relevant information. Have Hiashi present to verify whether I'm telling the truth or not."_

_Secure Room_

_ After Inoichi went through Obito's mind, he gave his report to the third. "Lord Hokage, Obito suppressed some memories that even I couldn't unlock. However, they were only memories. I had full access to emotions, most memories, etc. It is safe to say that he holds no ill intent for the leaf but without knowing what he suppressed, I can't be sure they aren't memories of a plan to takeover."_

_ The teen nodded. That was the conclusion he was expecting. Some might have missed the possibility of that being what Obito was hiding but the Yamanaka clan head was too experienced to let something like that get by him. Hiruzen turned to Obito and waited for an explanation. "Just what I was hoping for. Now, I asked for Hiashi in order to further prove myself. The Byakugan can detect sudden changes in chakra flow from the brain, which would occur if someone were lying. Those memories were strictly knowledge of future events I obtained in the afterlife. If they are revealed too early, it might change the timeline too drastically. I plan to use them to our advantage later on."_

_ Obito turned to Hiashi and waited for everything to unfold. "He's not lying." All it took were three simple words. The Hokage was almost embarrassed for doubting the young Uchiha. Well, until he remembered some of the main reasons he had lived so long. Caution and suspicion._

_End Flashback_

Two years had passed since the meeting. Obito had been able to convince the third to let him train the other two alongside Naruto. He was going to lead a new ANBU team consisting of himself, and the other three _human_ residents of Naruto's apartment. The leaf's trump card. Anko had bonded with Naruto and Yukimi and the trio were inseparable. On the surface, they would act like idiots but secretly, they would be powerful ninja.

Yukimi had been trained in stealth and with her smoke release bloodline, she was becoming the perfect assassin. Obito was the most versatile because he could potentially fill any role so he had become more well rounded. Anko had became agile and hard to hit. Her role was to tie targets up with her snakes and let Naruto and Yukimi take care of the rest. Naruto was a chakra powerhouse and had learned many jutsu. Even though most of them were low level, it helped to have variety and he did have a few stronger ones.

Obito got a bear mask, Anko a snake mask, Yukimi a cat mask, and Naruto a fox mask. It wouldn't be too hard for someone to guess who was behind a few of the masks... Not that it really mattered as most masks were so similar that you couldn't tell the animals that they represented apart. Besides, they weren't even technically in the ANBU yet and it was all for practice. Obito had only taken them on a few missions so far but they hadn't failed yet. They had already had their first kills. Quite a young age, but that was the life of a ninja.

**AN: In case anyone is wondering about current ages: Naruto is 7, Yukimi is 10, Anko is 10.**

**The three of them are high chunin level and Obito is elite jounin. They might have progressed further but there's more to learn than just the ninja arts.**

**I wanted to dive straight into the storyline but without this progress report, anything done later on may seem like a stretch.**

**The next chapter will be about the outcome of the Uchiha massacre.**


	12. Chapter 12

_**Naruto Uzumaki: Rise To Greatness**_

_...On the surface, they would act like idiots but secretly, they would be powerful ninja. Yukimi had been trained in stealth and with her smoke release bloodline, she was becoming the perfect assassin. Obito was the most versatile because he could potentially fill any role so he had become more well rounded. Anko had became agile and hard to hit. Her role was to tie targets up with her snakes and let Naruto and Yukimi take care of the rest. Naruto was a chakra powerhouse and had learned many jutsu. Even though most of them were low level, it helped to have variety and he did have a few stronger ones. _

**AN: I sent a request to have Yukimi added. :D**

**Read and review.**

_**Chapter 12: The Uchiha Clan's Fate**_

_Two Months Later, Hokage Tower_

Tensions were high lately between the Uchiha clan and the leaf village. It had gotten to the point that the Uchiha planned to takeover. A meeting was currently taking place in the council room of the Hokage tower in order to decide the best course of action. Obito had given the third fair warning about the intentions of the Uchiha clan and several meetings had been called already. In this last minute gathering, four people were present. Hiruzen, Itachi, Obito, and Shikaku. Obito had requested that Hiruzen call Itachi to the meeting as he went over his plan. Itachi had to be included because he would play a key part in the operation.

"Danzo will give Itachi orders to kill off the Uchiha clan. It would be best if he accepts the mission for the time being. Danzo only wishes to acquire the sharingan and will deploy his forces to retrieve as many as he can get his hands on. A powerful genjutsu will convince them that Itachi has completed his task. His men will have preservation containers on them to store the eyes which is enough evidence. If we can catch them in the act, there would be grounds to eliminate Danzo. In the meantime, I will challenge Fugaku for the clan head position. The Uchiha clan respect power, especially among clansmen. I can make them cease their planned attack. All of the blame can fall upon Danzo for _treasonous acts against a noble clan of the leaf._"

The plan Obito had came up with had a more favorable outcome than the original. Hiruzen wanted to talk things over and negotiate with the Uchiha but it was too late. Danzo was going to take things into his own hands and Obito would take full advantage of that. Shikaku seemed to have an issue with the idea Obito had proposed and had no problem letting him know. "Anyone can see that losing the Uchiha would weaken our military strength greatly and should be avoided but what about long term? You can't be clan head forever so what happens when if we have a repeat of this in the future?"

As always, Obito had an answer for almost everything. "Allow me to explain the Uchiha's curse of hatred. Tragedy causes us to have extreme emotions and makes us lose our ability to make rational decisions. It is extremely rare for a member of the Uchiha clan to defeat our curse. Descendants of Uchiha that have done so wont be affected by it either as long as they don't go through a great tragedy before they mature enough to awaken their sharingan. Itachi's mother didn't fall to it so he was spared from that fate as well. Shisui and his father are another example. If we make sure someone unaffected is always in power, it wont be a problem. That's not something you can do as you can't interfere with clan business but it can be dealt with from inside the clan... I realize that Fugaku would probably still try to gather forces so I will eliminate him to avoid that possibility. No more casualties are necessary. Is that acceptable, Sarutobi?"

Sarutobi looked at Itachi. The teen didn't seem bothered even though he had just heard someone say that his father would have to die. If anything, he appeared to be considering everything Obito had said. The two Uchiha were young but both had a strong sense for what needed to be done. Itachi didn't seem to disagree with how things were going and it worried the old man. "Itachi, are you alright with this?" There was a moments pause and Hiruzen got a nod in response, followed by a look of determination. Little did the third know, if Obito hadn't stepped in, Itachi would have accepted the task Danzo had planned for him, so this wasn't much in comparison. "Let's get started."

_Uchiha Compound_

The Uchiha were powerful genjutsu users so even with only two members being included in the operation, it wouldn't be hard for them to trick the root-nin once they arrived. The third gathered a small group of ANBU to detain Danzo and his forces after the evidence was gathered. Danzo had called for Itachi who left to play his part. Obito went to the clan head's house and burst in shouting. "Fugaku! I challenge you for the right to lead the Uchiha clan!" He was met with a response almost immediately as a man stepped out of the shadows, sharingan swirling. "I don't believe I recognize you. What is your name, boy?" Obito smirked and activated his mangekyou, making the clan head's eyes widen. "Obito. Obito Uchiha. Tsukuyomi!"

Fugaku was frozen. His body stood still while his mind was trapped in an illusion. Obito pinned the man to the wall with kunai and ran him through with an ANBU style katana. It was a rather anti-climatic fight. The mangekyou sharingan was rare and an unexpected sight. The fight would have lasted longer if the clan head hadn't underestimated the teen.

Unfortunately, even with things going good so far, one couldn't anticipate every possible outcome. Mikoto had entered the room as Obito dealt the final blow. She dropped a cup of tea that shattered as it hit the floor. "N-no..." The woman trembled with heartbreak as her own mangekyou was awakened. The stress of the situation was too much and she eventually collapsed near a speechless Obito.

_Uchiha District_

Itachi and Obito had worked together to cast a genjutsu over the area before they split up to complete their missions. Both had succeeded and Danzo's forces had arrived on schedule. Caught in the illusion, they believed that Itachi had killed everyone. Organ preservation containers were unsealed from scrolls and the Root-nin began to harvest what they thought were sharingan eyes. The Hokage and his ANBU had been watching from a distance and had all the proof that was needed to give the order. Danzo and his men would be captured. Alive, for now.

**AN: I wanted to do this differently from what I've seen so many times before...**

**What do you think?**

_**LAST EDITED 5/21/2014**_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Naruto Uzumaki: Rise To Greatness**_

_...Itachi and Obito had worked together to cast a genjutsu over the area before they split up to complete their missions. Both had succeeded and Danzo's forces had arrived on schedule. Caught in the illusion, they believed that Itachi had killed everyone. Organ preservation containers were unsealed from scrolls and the Root-nin began to harvest what they thought were sharingan eyes. The Hokage and his ANBU had been watching from a distance and had all the proof that was needed to give the order. Danzo and his men would be captured. Alive, for now._

**AN: There isn't going to be a psycho Mikoto so don't worry.**

**Read and review.**

_**Chapter 13: Mikoto's Distress**_

_Danzo's Hideout_

The ninja Danzo had sent had been dealt with. The first one had managed to kill himself before he was captured but the ANBU learned from their mistakes. They didn't give any others enough time to do the same. After several quick stops at the interrogation department, all of Danzo's hidden forces around the hideout were taken care of. Hiruzen rushed in followed by his ANBU operatives. "Danzo! Show yourself!"

A rhythemic tapping could be heard as the old war hawk's cane hit the ground, signalling his approach. "I'm sure I know why you're here... Itachi must have said something... No... I know you, Hiruzen. That wouldn't be good enough, you wouldn't come here without definite proof." Danzo unbandaged his arm, revealing a sickly pale apendage that could be the target of at least a few sexual jokes. "Such a shame root wasn't able to lessen your numbers more... Oh well, let us begin. Wood release: cutting technique!"

Wooden spikes were short forth toward the shocked opponents, impaling all but the Hokage and two others. A cat mask and bird mask ANBU. The legendary wood bloodline was essentially extinct. There was one ANBU member that had it but that was only due to Orochimaru's experiments. Had the two working together at some point?

Originally, the third had brought ten ANBU members with him. Danzo had incapacitated eight of them in a single attack. Granted, it was mainly due to surprise but they were in no condition to continue. Deciding to regroup, the two leapt to Sarutobi, one on either side. "Lord Hokage," the bird masked ANBU asked, "What are your orders?"

It was a dire situation. Those still alive were in desprite need of a hospital. If Hiruzen fought against Danzo, there would be lives lost. "Let him go. Our comrades need medical attention." With a smirk, the old war hawk took off faster than you'd expect from an old man, leaving the Konoha-nin to take care of their fallen bretheren. Next time, the third wouldn't make such a mistake. He would have Danzo killed, wood release or not.

_Konoha Hospital_

After Mikoto collapsed, Obito brought her to the hospital. Several days had passed and she had yet to regain consciousness. She wasn't like her husband. The man was ruthless and had lost himself to the curse. Yet, she followed him out of love. A love he hadn't returned in a long time. Obito truly felt bad for her and had decided to wait for her to wake up so he could explain his actions personally.

Not much later, her eyes opened slowly as she took in her surroundings. Memories of recent events made her gasp and a tear of blood flowed down her cheek. Obito moved to announce his presence. "I am sorry, Mikoto. I had to kill him so I could take over as clan head and stop the Uchiha from starting a civil war." The woman looked away but nodded in understanding.

She wasn't influenced by the curse of hatred and still had good judgment. However, that wasn't enough for her to just accept that her husband's killer _had a reason._ "When I get out of here, I'm going to rip your dick off." Obito paled slightly at the rightous feminine fury. He was almost tempted to chastise her for talking to the clan leader in such a way but he realised that might set her off further. Eventually, he managed to get two words out in a playful manner before teleporting away. "_We'll see_."

Itachi brought Sasuke for a visit and had a silent agreement with his mom. They expertly choose not to tell Sasuke anything. As long as they kept it from him for a while, they wouldn't have to worry about the curse affecting him. Mikoto would be in the hospital for a week. It wasn't really necessary but the staff didn't want to let her leave. Not that she would protest though, she really needed some time to relax.

On the way home, Sasuke twisted his ankle and had to be carried. The walk would take longer and gave Itachi time to think back. Unfortunately, it became a challenge once Sasuke began to snore.

_Flashback_

_Shisui had called a secret meeting with Itachi and the two were discussing how the clan was actually going to go through with the civil war. "Itachi... I fear that Danzo will come after my eyes. I can't let that happen so I must destroy my body. I'm entrusting the fate of the Uchiha to you." After that he dove off a cliff, never to be seen again..._

_End Flashback_

Until he appeared almost out of nowhere, living up to his moniker as the teleporter. "Itachi, you look well." That voice... It couldn't be... Itachi looked like he was seeing a ghost. "B-but how?"

**AN: You might want to re-read what I said about the curse of hatred last chapter, my version is a little different from canon.**


	14. Chapter 14

_**Naruto Uzumaki: Rise To Greatness**_

_...After that he dove off a cliff, never to be seen again... Until he appeared almost out of nowhere, living up to his moniker as the teleporter. "Itachi, you look well." That voice... It couldn't be... Itachi looked like he was seeing a ghost. "B-but how?"_

**AN: I realize that if I want to actually have a story, not everything can go right so don't think Obito will be able to prevent everything bad from happening. Last chapter should be a good example.**

**Read and review.**

_**Chapter 14: Shisui Uchiha**_

"Obito warned me that Danzo would come after my eyes and so I faked my death and went into hiding. An added bonus was that you were able to awaken your mangekyou sharingan. The rational thinking Uchiha will need to be strong so that we can keep the rest of the clan from becoming violent. I care too much for the village and our clan to allow either to fall to ruin... I'm sorry about Fugaku."

Itachi was normally a stoic person. More so than even most Uchiha... But seeing his once thought dead best friend right in front of him was too much for him to remain entirely impassive. Tears began to flow slowly down his face but other than that, nothing was out of place.

Learning that Obito had a hand in more than just strategy planning was interesting news. Itachi didn't know him that well but was glad that he was an ally. Hiruzen seemed to trust him almost unconditionally so he would do the same. He had faith in his Hokage. "It's alright, Shisui. I will mourn his death another time."

_Hokage's Office_

Obito appeared in the third's office in a swirling vortex, knocking paperwork off the desk. "You called, lord Hokage?" Sarutobi did not look pleased but that was not due to the mess that Obito had made. No, this was something else... "Obito, why didn't you mention that Danzo had access to the legendary wood release of the first Hokage? It cost us the lives of five ANBU members..."

For the first time, Obito seemed genuinely surprised. The divine being that had given him his information hadn't said anything about that. "I had no idea... This is news to me..." The Uchiha began to worry. What if the being was withholding other important intel? It was time to try something he hadn't attempted in quite some time. "Lord third, I need answers. There has to be a reason why I wasn't told. Let's finish this later," Obito said as he teleported away.

_Isolated Location_

Obito looked toward the sky and began to yell in frustration. "Hey! What the hell was that for? Five people died because you kept that from me!" even though he was angry and the being could have just ignored him to avoid a potential headache, the Uchiha got a response.

There was a blinding bright light and a woman in white robes descended from the sky, hovering near Obito. She was completely calm and had a soothing aura emanating in waves off of her. **"Obito, I can't give you absolute knowledge. You are being tested and the most important thing is how you use the information **_**I do give you. **_**Danzo is not meant to die yet anyway... Now, I have something for you. An organization will rise in a few years under Madara Uchiha. His goal will be to combine the tailed beasts to create a powerful entity, the ten tails. This goes against priority number one, Naruto's safety as it will cost his life. Beyond that, it would upset the natural order. Madara cannot be allowed to succeed. The individuals he wishes to recruit for his cause are as follows..."**

Obito was given a detailed report on each future member of the Akatsuki and some details on their personalities. He would have to figure out if any of them could be persuaded not to join Madara and how. The Uchiha had no problem showing his irritation with god when she wasn't a few feet away but once they were face to face, it was a different story. He listened intently and didn't talk back.

Despite her original outlook that the five ANBU deaths weren't a big deal, she ended up giving Obito much more than just intel. He received half a page of a special book to make up for it. _A book of life._

_Hokage's Office_

As usual, the Uchiha clan head appeared suddenly near Hiruzen's desk. "Lord third, I have come across a _solution _for the deaths Danzo caused. You should go to the morgue immediately." Sarutobi looked confused but knew better than to dismiss something Obito said. He would take that short trip as soon as he hid his Icha Icha book.

_Hidden Location_

Madara had been influencing Fugaku in order to turn the Uchiha clan against Konoha. It had been quite the shock to see his plans ruined so suddenly. There was a new pest to deal with. One he would have to eliminate personally...

**AN: Did anyone catch the foreshadowing with the **_**special book**_**? What do you think it means?**

**I like to keep Obito's intel a secret so I don't give things away too much but I thought I'd give you guys a taste. Might not do that again for a while but don't think that this is the only information Obito has...**


	15. Chapter 15

_**Naruto Uzumaki: Rise To Greatness**_

_...Madara had been influencing Fugaku in order to turn the Uchiha clan against Konoha. It had been quite the shock to see his plans ruined so suddenly. There was a new pest to deal with. One he would have to eliminate personally..._

**AN: The page from the **_**special book**_** was a life note. Consider it the opposite of a death note. It brings people back to life instead of killing them. (Doesn't really exist in the actual anime)**

**If there's anyone that hasn't seen death note or doesn't quite understand and wants to know how it works, send me a PM.  
**

**Read and review.**

_**Chapter 15: Madara**_

_Flashback_

_ The news had spread quickly that Fugaku had fallen to another Uchiha. As with most clans, the strongest individual is generally acknowledged as the leader so if a clan member can defeat them, they become the new head of the clan. Obito had done so but hadn't had a meeting with the rest of the clan yet. It was time he introduced himself._

_ The Uchiha were gathered together and stared at Obito expectantly. Many had looks of disdain. Fugaku was leading them down a path that would give them their rightful place in the village. What could this runt do? "Fellow Uchiha, even though I wasn't a real part of the clan until recently, I know all about Fugaku's plan to takeover the village. Let me start by saying that I do not support such action and will kill any of you that try it."_

_ Obito was against killing but they didn't need to know that. For good measure, he activated his mangekyou sharingan and a few flinched under his intense gaze. A few seconds later he decided to continue the speech. "There is a better way to get the results we want and under my leadership, it will become a reality. I am Hiruzen's advisor and he takes me very seriously. That being said, we can reintegrate ourselves into the village without killing everyone off. If anyone thinks otherwise, now is the time to settle it. Come at me."_

_End Flashback_

_Uchiha Training Ground_

A few arrogant Uchiha decided to take him up on his offer but once he put them in their place easily, it was no longer a concern. Obito had gone through a stressful day and had decided to unwind. Unfortunately, the only way he could do that was to trash a training area. "Fire style: great fireball!" The inferno that signified adulthood in the Uchiha clan was launched into a mass of trees, incinerating them on contact.

A man in a spiral orange mask with one eye hole came into view and nodded toward the destruction in approval. "I could do much better, but it is impressive nonetheless... Anyway, you ruined my efforts to have the leaf village and the Uchiha clan destroy each other. I'm afraid I have to kill you." It was a good plan, they were unlikely to be disturbed at a training ground as fighting was expected there.

Madara wasn't quite sure how he had expected his new enemy to react to the threat but laughing hysterically never would have crossed his mind. Obito wiped a non existent tear away. "Madara, I never knew you were such a funny guy." It may have seemed arrogant but there was no way Madara could make good on his threat. Plus, it flustered him a bit. An added bonus.

This man knew who he was and didn't seem to mind. Madara Uchiha was a name that normally struck fear into the enemy but had only made the young clan head laugh. Just who the hell was he? No. It didn't matter who he was, there wasn't a man alive that could stand against the living legend. Madara drew a katana and rushed forward, not even bothering to activate his sharingan. This _new clan head _wasn't even worthy enough for that.

Obito didn't move to dodge and drew a kunai in response, one in each hand. The katana went straight through his chest and Obito thrusted a kunai into Madara's side. As soon as the small knife entered the elder Uchiha, Obito's hand left the kunai and grabbed Madara's hand that was still gripped around the katana, holding both hand and blade in place.

The living legend was shocked. His opponent didn't seem to care that he had been impaled and had retaliated unhindered. Obito followed up with his other kunai, intending to stab Madara again but this time he wasn't so lucky. Madara caught his arm with his free hand before he could make contact. "I shouldn't have underestimated you. It wont happen again." He was able to free himself by jumping back but lost his sword in the process. The two Uchiha activated their mangekyou sharingan almost simultaneously and went through identical hand signs. "Fire style: great fireball!"

Flaming projectiles were launched toward one another and Obito was soon consumed by the sheer power behind Madara's attack. The elder chuckled arrogantly as he spoke into the charred and smoking landscape to seemingly no one. "You gained the mangekyou sharingan, I'm impressed. Even so, it was no match for mine. Only one person in the world could hope to match my strength and he is no longer alive."

Madara turned to walk off and heal his bleeding side but Obito burst out of the smoke. "Amatarasu!" Small patches of black flames latched onto various areas of the masked Uchiha's body, making him roar in agony. The burning man fled the area and Obito choose not to pursue. The elder wouldn't want to sacrifice one of his eternal mangekyou sharingan eyes so it was unlikely that he would use the Isanagi. He wouldn't be in any condition to fight for at least a few years and would have to lay low. This would buy Obito much needed time to train Naruto and the others. Madara would have to postpone his plans for the Akatsuki.

**AN: This was my first chapter length fight scene, they're usually really short... I'm kinda nervous.**

**Bloodlines will be labeled with 'release', otherwise it will just say 'style'.**

**Example: Wood release, Fire style.**


	16. Chapter 16

_**Naruto Uzumaki: Rise To Greatness**_

_...The elder wouldn't want to sacrifice one of his eternal mangekyou sharingan eyes so it was unlikely that he would use the Isanagi. He wouldn't be in any condition to fight for at least a few years and would have to lay low. This would buy Obito much needed time to train Naruto and the others. Madara would have to postpone his plans for the Akatsuki._

**AN: Several people have asked if this fic is going to be more Naruto or Obito based. I'm not sure if I said this before but Naruto will have a larger role once he is older.**

**This chapter will be used to 'close up' a few plot holes.**

**Today's my birthday.**

**Read and review.**

_**Chapter 16: Loose Ends**_

The fight with Madara would be kept secret for now. There was no reason to worry Hiruzen or the rest of the village with something that was no longer an issue. He wouldn't tell him about the Akatsuki, either. If the leaf killed off all of the future members too early, Madara would just choose other powerful ninja instead that Obito wasn't aware of. It would be best to let at least a few of them be recruited and plan accordingly.

Before Obito died, he was in love with a girl on his team named Rin. He had been meaning to see her now that he was alive again but there was so much going on and he never had the time. So today, he would check up on her. The problem was, he didn't know where she was. Maybe Kakashi would know. That pervert was easy to find, he was always sitting under a tree reading his orange book. Time to pay him a visit.

"Kakashi, you know where Rin is?" The cyclops was startled slightly by the voice. He would have been happy to see Obito if he hadn't asked such a question... "After your death... She was devastated... It hit her really hard. She went into isolation in the woods. I kept tabs on her but she wanted to be left alone so I didn't visit much. Want me to take you?"

Obito nodded. If Rin was going through a period of depression over his death, he should be able to fix it just by showing that he was among the living once more. Kakashi put his perverted book away and jumped from tree to tree, Obito in tow. He may not have needed both hands at the moment but wouldn't dream of disrespecting Rin. Sadly, she was one of the only women he seemed to have respect for.

_Rin's Hideout_

A few minutes later, the two arrived at a small cabin. Their presence did not go unnoticed and Rin could be seen standing on the roof, Kunai at the ready. Once she saw a familiar face, she put the weapon away. "Kakashi, I thought I told you to give me some space..." The cyclops smiled sadly, though it wasn't visible through his mask. He hadn't done as she had asked but considering the circumstances, it shouldn't be a problem. "Rin... I... I've come back to you."

Her eyes widened at the sound of her lost friend's voice and she froze in shock. Tears ran down her face and Obito was upon her in a second, enveloping her in a strong embrace. "I'll explain everything later but for now, I want you to come with me. You don't need to hide out in this forest any longer." That offer marked the end of Rin's hermit days.

_Konoha Prison_

"Lord third, the prisoners have been prepared just as you've asked." The old man nodded at the news. The root ninja that had been captured had been through harsh interrogation for days. Unfortunately, they hadn't given up a single piece of intel on Danzo or anything he had been up to. It wasn't due to inability, Ibiki was talented after all. The problem was Danzo had placed a seal on their tongues to prevent any information leaks.

As a seal master, Jiraiya had been brought in to take care of things. He quickly went to work removing the seals and afterwards, the root-nin were able to speak freely. Danzo was a powerful ninja, but he was no seal master. Hiruzen had the perfect solution for what he would do with the captives. They would transition into his ANBU forces and work directly under him. The former root operatives were hand picked and highly skilled which would do quite nicely. They even had the right mentality for it all. Protect the leaf village at all costs.

_Village Gates_

Jiraiya was about to leave the village once more in order to make use of his spy network which was becoming less useful as time progressed. Obito always seemed to have superior intel. The man in question appeared out of a swirling portal, making the toad sage groan in annoyance. "Have you come to brag about how much more information you have than I do? Oh, I know... You've come to have me jumped by angry women again, right?" The Uchiha rose an eyebrow and burst out laughing.

The old perve was pathetic. Obito didn't care about either of those things. No, all that mattered to him was Naruto's development. This wasn't just a 'mission from above' to him. He truly cared for and saw himself in the kid. "No, I've come with a request. It is crucial for Naruto to have training in the sealing arts. As an Uzumaki, he will no doubt be able to surpass you in that field one day and will become a valuable asset for this village. As his godfather, you owe him for leaving him alone so much already."

Jiraiya thought it over for a moment and sighed. Maybe it was time to make up for his mistakes in life. Besides, tainting Minato's memory was something he would never want to do. "Very well, I will train Naruto. My spy network is becoming irrelevant anyway. The third can send someone to take over for me temporarily." The two left toward Naruto's apartment. There was a lot of planning to do.

**AN: Sorry this took so long, I'm dealing with some writer's block. :L**

**There's a poll on my profile for what bloodline Naruto will get so go vote! I'm still accepting ideas!**


	17. Chapter 17

_**Naruto Uzumaki: Rise To Greatness**_

_...Jiraiya thought it over for a moment and sighed. Maybe it was time to make up for his mistakes in life. Besides, tainting Minato's memory was something he would never want to do. "Very well, I will train Naruto. My spy network is becoming irrelevant anyway. The third can send someone to take over for me temporarily." The two left toward Naruto's apartment. There was a lot of planning to do._

**AN: Still need that Beta reader.**

**Read and review.**

_**Chapter 17: Uzumaki Ties**_

Obito was really busy lately. He had to add Itachi as acting clan head when he was absent. From training his future ANBU team to planning lessons and thinking about future events in order to decide what his move would be ahead of time, he just didn't have a lot of free time. Rin had gotten over Kakashi years ago and now that Obito was back, she had fallen for him. He had talked the divine being into aging his body a few years in order to make up for the age gap.

Naruto was progressing exceptionally fast in the sealing arts due to his Uzumaki lineage. He still received training in the other ninja aspects but wasn't improving as rapidly. Anko learned some fire style ninjutsu and basic genjutsu with Yukimi. The smoke girl spent most of her time and energy experimenting with her bloodline.

The three worked together on chakra control exercises such as tree walking and water walking. Obito planned to have Rin teach them all medical ninjutsu once they had the required control level. It's too useful to only have one team member learn. Overall, they had expanded their skill sets but were still only high chunin level. The Akatsuki were stalled for the moment but still a threat.

_Hidden Location_

A plant-like man emerged from the floor in a cave. Once inside, he was greeted by several legendary ninja. Orochimaru the pedophile, Sasori the living morning wood, Kakuzu the greedy bastard, Deidara the suicidal artist, and Hidan the raging masochist. The creepy snake man had an arrogant smirk. "My sources tell me that Madara was beaten badly during his mission in the leaf. It makes sense that he hasn't shown himself. He probably expects one of us to take advantage of his weakened state and overthrow him. Smart man."

_Hokage's Office_

Obito arrived in a swirling vortex, making the old man groan is annoyance. He was used of things by now but it still bothered him when his paperwork was knocked around. "Lord third, I would like to request that you reopen the Uzumaki compound. Naruto is no longer the last Uzumaki around." That information made Hiruzen raise an eyebrow. The land of whirlpools was destroyed years ago during the war but it was always a possibility that there were survivors. The Uzumaki had always been full of surprises.

"If you can prove to me that there is indeed another Uzumaki, I'll have no problem arranging the compound's return. However, I need to know everything you can tell me on this 'other Uzumaki' in order to make sure he or she is not a threat to this village. How old are they? Any ninja training? Class ranking? Does he or she hold any allegiances to other villages? Where did you come across this person?"

_Flashback_

_ The new Uchiha clan head 'teleported' into Ame, checking out rumors of a 'god' living there. Obito knew that wasn't possible because it would violate the rules they set for themselves. There was a constant rain pouring everywhere. The land of rain really lived up to their name. Suddenly, there was a swarm of paper butterflies as a blue haired woman with paper wings appeared. "State your business, outsider," she glared._

_ If Obito had to guess bases on her outfit, he would assume she was posing as an angel. "Take me to this so called 'god'. I wish to make a deal with him." The paper woman seemed angered at his demands. She had no time for non believers. Her hand rose and paper kunai's levitated menacingly. One swipe of her hand and she would have disposed of the fool. Unfortunately for her, a ginger with quite a few piercings called it off. "That's enough, Konan. I will hear what this man has to say."_

_ "Nagato Uzumaki," the young clan head said respectfully, "Your sister Kushina had a son minutes before she died. His name is Naruto and he's almost 10. You are his only living family. He needs you in his life... Will you meet him?" That was a heavy bomb to drop on a person. Nagato was a cautious man but this wasn't something he could just ignore._

_ The Uzumaki were always big on family so this was very important. Worst case, this 'messenger' leads his corpse into a trap and he gets another body for the path. Not much to lose there. "Very well. Lead the way."_

_End Flashback_

"...Then I let him meet Naruto and he wants to stick around. He's willing to step down as the ruler of Ame and that paper lady, Konan still follows him. That's two S rank ninja joining the leaf. I am willing to vouch for them if necessary." Sarutobi sighed. It was tiring just listening to Obito's crazy 'accomplishments'. "I'll begin the preparations, just let me meet them first..."

**AN: There is a poll on my profile for what bloodline Naruto will get so go vote if you haven't done so already.**


	18. Chapter 18

_**Naruto Uzumaki: Rise To Greatness**_

_...He's willing to step down as the ruler of Ame and that paper lady, Konan still follows him. That's two S rank ninja joining the leaf. I am willing to vouch for them if necessary." Sarutobi sighed. It was tiring just listening to Obito's crazy 'accomplishments'. "I'll begin the preparations, just let me meet them first..."_

**AN: The poll is finished. Naruto will eventually be getting the top two or top three voted bloodlines &amp; he wont get them all at once. I'll post the results at the bottom of the chapter.**

**Read and review.**

_**Chapter 18: In The Heat Of The Moment**_

Hiruzen hadn't completely accepted the Ame leader and his second into Konoha's ranks but Jiraiya vouched for them alongside Obito and that was more than enough. It was decided that Nagato would have one of his paths lead Ame from a distance. While two S rank ninja was great, an entire village would be an immense boost if working in tandem with the leaf. Besides, Nagato really cared for the people there and would feel much better to be able to continue watching over them.

After the meeting, Nagato and Konan moved into Naruto's apartment. Things were getting very crowded and the five extra bodies would be too much so they took position around the apartment as extra security. The fox guards refused to leave even though it was packed and there were plenty of other protectors. This was only a temporary situation until the compound was fixed up. Without maintenance, buildings can become... unsafe over time so worked was needed.

_Hospital Room_

Mikoto had been released from the hospital today and walked out with a misleading smile on her face. She wasn't happy to leave. No, she was happy to pay her husband's killer back. The previous clan head's wife leapt from rooftop to rooftop in her crazed search. "Obito, get out here now," she called sweetly.

Obito had finished up with the third and was on his way to Naruto's apartment. Soon they all would move into the Uzumaki compound, but it wasn't ready just yet. Obito had a lot to think about so instead of 'teleporting' like usual, he decided to take the long way and just walk. Sadly, he was currently being hunted by Mikoto and she spotted him before he could get inside. "There you are..."

In an effort to avoid exposing the children to whatever Mikoto had planned, Obito diverged from his current path in favor of a more isolated location. "You can't run forever," she screamed from only a short distance away. Technically, he could run forever or even 'teleport away' but that wouldn't solve anything.

Obito led the old clan head's wife into the forest as she jumped from tree to tree in pursuit. The new Uchiha leader turned the tables and sprung off a tree, taking a brief 'flight' toward Mikoto. She had a look of surprise as she was tackled into the grass below. Obito had grown tired of playing games and had pinned her to the ground, a strong grip on her wrists as he hovered above her.

Mikoto had been neglected by her husband. He never had time for her when he was alive. Now that this man was dominating her, previously dormant feelings arose once more &amp; she looked at Obito, eyes half lidded with lust. "L-lord Obito..." The hormones she was emanating had a visible effect on him as he engaged her in a heated make out session.

**Lemon**

Tongues fought for dominance. Obito made sure to map out every inch of her mouth as he tasted her. His free hand started to rub her pussy through her shorts. Mikoto was moaning into the kiss, not having felt so good in years. After a while, Obito broke the kiss and looked into her lust filled eyes.

The young Uchiha leaned in right to her ear. "I think you need to be taught a lesson," he said in a husky voice. Mikoto was already a little wet from the make out session but the thought of that made her crazy. "L-lord Obito I-I" She wasn't able to finish her sentence as he cut her off by yanking her up by her wrists and forcing her up against a nearby tree.

"The time for talking is over my dear." Obito lifted her skirt and moved her panties to the side, rubbing her pussy with one finger. After he collected her juices, he brought the finger to her mouth, letting her have a taste. "Mmm, yes. You're ready." Obito kept one hand holding her wrists above her head and used his free hand to un-button his pants.

Once they were down half way, Obito grabbed his raging hard on and rubbed it against her pussy, earning a moan from her in response. He eased his way into her soaked opening, thrusting slowly at first in order to get used to the tightness of her pussy. His other hand held her waist close. Mikoto was moaning loudly, it has just been so long since she had a good fuck.

"Yes! Oh Kami yes! Please Obito-sama faster! Harder! Pound me through this tree," She started to yell through her moans. Letting loose of her wrists, he placed both his hands on her waist and started to thrust harder, further pushing her tits into the tree. For some reason, it turned her on even more. A few minutes later she reached orgasm and with an ear splitting shout, she let the world know.

**AN: Bet you didn't see that one coming. ;p**

**Special thanks to Naruhinalover20 for writing the lemon.**

**Poll results:**

**Chakra Chains - 37 Votes**

**Special Doujutsu From Kami - 26 Votes**

**Amaterasu Defense (Like Gaara) - 17 Votes**

**Storm Release - 16 Votes**

**Wood Release - 12 Votes**

**Control Undead Ninja - 8 Votes**

**Sharingan - 7 Votes**


	19. Chapter 19

_**Naruto Uzumaki: Rise To Greatness**_

_...Mikoto had been neglected by her husband. He never had time for her when he was alive. Now that this man was dominating her, previously dormant feelings arose once more &amp; she looked at Obito, eyes half lidded with lust. "L-lord Obito..." _

**Read and review.**

_**Chapter 19: Forgive me, Rin**_

The two lay side by side in a patch of grass, thinking about what had just happened. Obito hadn't made it official with Rin yet so it wasn't technically cheating but he owed her an explanation, at least. He wondered how things would change from here and if she would understand. What would happen with Mikoto? This was just a_ heat of the moment _type of thing, right?

The Uchiha woman noticed Obito's mixed emotions and frowned. She felt great. Better than she had in years. She _really_ _needed this _&amp; would be damned if she let him get away. Mikoto climbed on top of her _partner _and began to straddle him. "Obito," she pouted cutely, "what's wrong ? Didn't you have _fun_?" Her tone took a slightly dangerous turn.

The young man began to sweat. He had just gotten on her good side and was not hoping to have hell rain down upon him just yet. "Y-yes. You were great... I just... Well..." The area suddenly grew cold and Mikoto's sharingan span wildly. "**There's another girl, isn't there? You bastard! No... Take me to her right now! Let's settle this." **Obito sighed in defeat. He may be dominant in the bedroom... Or forest... but this wasn't something he could avoid. "Fine, fine. Come on, " he said as he led her off.

_Rin's Apartment_

Rin was on her porch healing an injured stray dog when the two arrived. "Obito! It's good to see you! ...Who's this?" The clan head looked down in embarrassment. "I uhh... fucked her." The reaction Obito was expecting to get wasn't quite what happened. Rin smiled happily. "This is great. You're so full of love. I couldn't hope to have it all to myself," she said as she pounced on the Uchiha woman.

Rin's personality had completely changed since she returned to the leaf village. She was no longer a shut in and cared deeply for everyone and everything. Unfortunately, Mikoto wasn't ready to be jumped on and fell over, Rin landing on top of her. "Get off me, you bitch," the Uchiha lady yelled as she tried with all of her might to remove her clinging rival.

Obito had a large sweatdrop on the back of his head and was not sure what to say, if anything. Luckily, Mikoto continued her response. "Fine. We can share him. Just get off!" What the hell did he get himself into?

_Extra: Progress Preview_

Obito had used his life note page to bring back a seal master by the name of Sanji from the land of whirlpools. He had been more than willing to add security to the newly finished Uzumaki compound. The man was thrilled to hear of a future rebirth of his clan. Jiraiya was a great teacher but he just couldn't compare to a real seal master so Sanji took over.

Naruto was taught the shadow and multi shadow clone jutsu. Because of this, he was able to advance much faster than the others in his future ANBU group, using clones to speed up training. He had improved chakra control and learned higher ranking wind style jutsu. The young Uzumaki was now able to dispel powerful genjutsu, but still unable to cast them.

Yukimi had become practically undetectable. She could sneak up on almost anyone. The smoke girl had a lightning affinity and was able to learn some jutsu for it. Her speed increased considerably, alongside the rest of the team. Her genjutsu improved &amp; she finally had the chakra control level for medical ninjutsu.

Anko was slippery as hell. Anyone rookie jounin and under would be hard pressed to land a hit on her. She had learned some high level fire style ninjutsu and mid level genjutsu, plus very basic medical ninjutsu. Naruto was the only member that was yet to reach that level of control, which was probably due to his high chakra capacity.

**AN: Next chapter will start the genin exams. We can finally move forward.**

**I need ideas for jutsu Naruto can learn from the forbidden scroll. Leave them in a review or a PM.**


	20. Chapter 20

_**Naruto Uzumaki: Rise To Greatness**_

_...Obito had a large sweatdrop on the back of his head and was not sure what to say, if anything. Luckily, Mikoto continued her response. "Fine. We can share him. Just get off!"_

**AN: Sorry for rushing that last part. I just had to get things moving.**

**Read and review.**

_**Chapter 20: The Genin Exams**_

Everyone from Naruto's old apartment moved into the finished Uzumaki compound. The fox demons no longer had to protect Naruto. He could easily take care of himself and defend against most threats. Now, they would guard his home around the clock &amp; keep those close to him safe. Whether they needed the protection or not.

_Five Years Later_

Naruto led his teammates into the classroom of the ninja academy, a deceptively stupid grin on his face. The three would need to keep up appearances if they were to blend in. More specifically, they had to look like idiot kids. They were very late and class was almost over. It was the last day. The testing day. "Now that you know what is expected of you as ninja of the leaf village, I wish you well on your tests. When I call your name, move into the other room and find the instructor."

"Excuse me," A voice called loudly, "Is this where we become genin?" Iruka frowned at the interruption but turned to meet the voice. His eyes widened once he lay eyes on the speaker. He had heard about _this one_. People talked but he was never one for rumors. As a teacher, he was leading by example and had no intentions of teaching blind hate. "Yes, it is. I have been expecting you three, the Hokage did mention this to me personally. Take a seat."

What gave these new guys the right to just show up on the last day, when the rest of the class attended everyday for the last few years? "No fair! You're gonna' let them take the exam just like that," an Inuzuka growled angrily. His outburst sparked complaints in most others, with the exception of an Aburame, Nara, Uchiha, Hyuuga, and an Akimichi who was too busy eating to care. Iruka used his famous big head jutsu. "Shut up, Kiba! The Hokage himself granted them special entry!" The three sat down and Naruto began to think back as he waited for his name to be called.

_Flashback_

_ "We did it," Yukimi said cheerfully, "We finally made official ANBU members. Isn't that great?" The other two shared her enthusiasm. The achievement made them very happy. They were finally a team. Obito ruffled her hair. "Good work, kids. You're some of the youngest to ever make the ANBU. Just don't let it go to your head."_

_End Flashback_

The young Uzumaki smiled at the memory. It was one of the happiest days of his life. "Our special guests are next. Yukimi Iburi, Anko Mitarashi &amp; Naruto Uzumaki." With a nod, the three left the room to complete their task. It was easy. They only had to perform a substitution, transformation, and clone jutsu. At this point, Naruto had the chakra control required for the clone and didn't need to use anything fancy. Needless to say, they all passed. Not everyone was happy about that.

"The teams are as follows: Hinata Hyuuga, Kiba Inuzuka, and Shino Aburame under Kurenai Yuuhi. Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura, and Sai under Kakashi Hatake. Shikimaru Nara, Choji Akimichi, and Ino Yamanaka under Asuma Sarutobi. Naruto Uzumaki, Anko Mitarashi, and Yukimi Iburi under Obito Uchiha. All of your jounin instructors should arrive shortly. Team Obito is to meet at the Uchiha compound. Good luck to everyone."

Naruto left the academy with Anko and Yukimi in tow. A few moments later, the instructor ran out calling his name. "Naruto! I'm glad I caught you! Can I talk to you for a moment?" They had sensed hostility from the man earlier so it was odd that he was approaching them in such an _innocent _way. Naruto shrugged and allowed Mizuki to pull him to the side. "There's a extra credit test for genin that will boost prestige in your ninja career if you succeed. We offer this opportunity to each graduate one at a time so you're the only one I can ask for now... What do you say?"

"...All you gotta' do is sneak into the Hokage's office and get away with the giant scroll on the shelf in the back. If you can do that, head to the forest in the north. I'll be waiting to see if you make it or not." It was obvious. This man was a traitor who was after the leaf's forbidden scroll. Even with that information, however, Naruto couldn't blow his cover. He would have to play along. "Sure, teacher. I'll take this test." The man smiled evilly. "Great. Get to the tower at 12 tonight, exactly. That's when the guards change shifts."

**AN: I still need ideas for jutsu Naruto can learn from the forbidden scroll. Leave them in a review or a PM.**

**Naruto is 12 and Yukimi &amp; Anko are 13. I have decided to shorten the age gap to make them fit in better.**


	21. Chapter 21

_**Naruto Uzumaki: Rise To Greatness**_

_...It was obvious. This man was a traitor who was after the leaf's forbidden scroll. Even with that information, however, Naruto couldn't blow his cover. He would have to play along. "Sure, teacher. I'll take this test." The man smiled evilly. "Great. Get to the tower at 12 tonight, exactly. That's when the guards change shifts."_

**AN: To those of you who shared ideas with me, I really appreciate it. :)**

**Read and review.**

_**Chapter 21: The Mizuki Incident**_

_Uchiha Compound_

Obito was busy doing paperwork. It was expected of him as a clan leader, the same as it was of the Hokage and anyone else with a similar role. His team was late. This was unlike them but he knew they would have to assume different identities so it was fine with him. With a knock on the door, the three entered. Naruto had a serious look on his face, while the others remained impassive. "Obito, we have a problem. It's Mizuki. He's a traitor."

The young clan head rose an eyebrow. That was a serious claim but Naruto had credibility. He would look into it and see how much truth there was. "Mizuki approached me right outside the academy with a _special test _that involved stealing the forbidden scroll. In order to keep up appearances, I accepted. I will be meeting him in the forest tonight and if he decides to go through with his plan, we will bring him in."

Obito frowned. All the work was already done for him and they only needed the proof. That wasn't why he was frowning though. The divine being never mentioned this to him. Well, she did have a track record of only telling him things that she deemed important. It was unfortunate. "Very well, Naruto. Proceed." With a nod, the three dispersed in a cloud of smoke.

_Forest Area_

Getting the scroll was incredibly easy. He probably could have swapped it for a fake but he couldn't take the chance that Mizuki would know the difference. Besides, he could use this opportunity to learn some new jutsu. Yukimi and Anko were in their ANBU uniforms hidden from view.

The story would be that an idiot fresh out of the academy was tricked into stealing the scroll for a traitor, who was later intercepted by the ANBU. Not even Mizuki would know the truth if they played this out correctly. As seasoned members of an elite team, it wouldn't be a problem.

"Hmm.. Sunset genjutsu? Holy fuck! God no! The horror," he cringed. A moment later, he shook off the memory and got back to work. "The clone explosion jutsu would be useful. I'll copy that down to learn later... What's this? A blood seal? Might as well give it a shot," he said as he bit his thumb &amp; smeared blood on the scroll. It lit up and a smaller scroll fell out. If Naruto's blood was able to unlock that compartment, that scroll was rightfully his. He stashed it away in his pocket.

"Ah, Naruto. You pass the test. Give me the scroll." The young Uzumaki walked forward, only to have kunai embed into the ground, blocking his path. "Naruto Uzumaki. Return to the village at once. That is a direct order from a commanding officer." Naruto had a puzzled look on his face, as if he barely understood. The teen shrugged and walked off carrying the scroll.

Mizuki on the other hand had a frantic look. He did not plan on encountering the ANBU. Before he could react, a chop to the back of the neck put him out. "Mission accomplished. Let's report to the Hokage." With a swirl of leaves, the two shunshined to the Hokage tower, holding the traitor.

_Hiruzen's Office_

The third had seen the entire thing through his magic crystal ball. The leaf village had received it as a gift many years ago, old friends of a powerful clan. They hadn't heard from them for over a decade. Maybe he would send a team to check up on them one of these days. The presence of two ANBU members shook him out of his thoughts of the past. "Lord third, we have found a traitor."

The old man sighed. His job was getting increasingly taxing over the years. He would have to name a successor soon. Minato's untimely death was unfortunate but the leaf needed a new leader. Someone young and full of life. "I am aware of the situation. Snake, Fill me in on the details of the op. Cat, take Mizuki to Ibiki." The two nodded in understanding and fulfilled their respective tasks.

**AN: Who do you think Hiruzen will name as the fifth?**

**In case you forgot, Yukimi has a cat mask, Obito has a bear mask, Anko has a snake mask, and Naruto has a fox mask.**


	22. Chapter 22

_**Naruto Uzumaki: Rise To Greatness**_

_...The old man sighed. His job was getting increasingly taxing over the years. He would have to name a successor soon. Minato's untimely death was unfortunate but the leaf needed a new leader. Someone young and full of life._

**Read and review.**

_**Chapter 22: Protect The Bridgebuilder**_

_Hiruzen's Office_

A few weeks had passed since the _shocking _arrest of the academy teacher, Mizuki. Sarutobi had made his decision on who he would choose to take over the role of Hokage. He would be going public with it soon, even though it wouldn't be happening for a while. Team Kakashi had learned teamwork very quickly and were ahead of the rest of the graduates in terms of skill. He had called them in for a step up. This was a C rank assignment.

"Kakashi, your team is to protect the bridgebuilder, Tazuna, from bandits and theives while he builds his bridge in the land of waves." The drunken old man stumbled into the room complaining about the skill level of the team assigned to protect him and was greeted with a banshee screech in response. "How dare you? Sasuke's the strongest genin in the leaf village! This'll be easy!" If only she knew...

As the group left the Hokage tower and set off, Team Obito showed up, decked out in full ANBU gear. "Lord Hokage," their bear masked leader called, "I'm sure you remember the _persons of interest_ I told you about before. Team Kakashi will not be prepared for that threat. Do we have permission to lend assistance?" The third rose an eyebrow. "Bear, with the intel you gave me before in mind, I wouldn't have sent Kakashi's team on that mission without expecting them to have your help. Now get going." A cloud of smoke later, they were gone.

_Unspecified Road_

The five travelers walked at a slow pace because one of them was a civilian. Sakura stepped in a puddle on an otherwise dry landscape. Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sai noticed but said nothing. Their only communication was a shared knowing look. Suddenly, a chain shot out of the water, only to be deflected &amp; sent off course by a Kunai. An ANBU team appeared, taking offensive positioning around the attackers. "Kakashi Hatake. Proceed with your mission. We will handle things here."

The mission had changed. That much was a given. This was no longer a C rank assignment. Kakashi recognized the demon brothers of the mist attacking and there were likely to be more surprises waiting for them. However, they had an elite support team so it wasn't as much of a problem. The cyclops still had ties to the ANBU &amp; had heard a few things about this team. They had never failed, not even once. "Come on, Tazuna. Sakura. Sai. Sasuke. Let's go."

Naruto's hands flashed through handsigns as he dove forward toward the demon brothers in a burst of speed. "Water Style: Tsunami!" A tidal wave rose to unbelieveable heights and crashed down on the stunned duo. The force was bone breaking and the two were left unmoving and barely alive on the dirt path as the water washed away.

The young Uzumaki has come far in the sealing arts and had developed his own seal for transporting captured enemies. It put them into a state of suspended animation but would only work if they were completely incapacitated, which is why such a jutsu was required. Naruto sealed the nuke-nin away and the four took off after team Kakashi.

Traveling at civilian speeds did not give the cyclops's group much of a lead, especially in the short time period it took to end the fight. It was a matter of seconds before the ANBU team caught up, still hidden from view. There was a rustling in the nearby bushes, placing the genin team on high alert. Sai threw a kunai into the bushes and a white rabbit jumped out. "You idiot," a pink haired banshee cried as she scooped up the _poor_ _animal_ into her arms, "you could have killed him!"

The former root-nin didn't react. He had undergone Danzo's emotional conditioning and saw no problem with his actions. "Logically, it could have been an enemy hiding there. It was the correct move." Suddenly, a giant cleaver came hurling toward everyone. "Get down," Kakashi yelled as tackled the bridgebuilder. A civillian could not be expected to react to such a threat quick enough on their own. "Well, well," a deep voice called, "Kakashi of the sharingan. No wonder the demon brothers failed."

**AN: Here are the affinities for Obito's team:**

**Naruto: Wind &amp; Water**

**Yukimi: Earth &amp; Lightning**

**Anko: Fire &amp; Earth**


	23. Chapter 23

_**Naruto Uzumaki: Rise To Greatness**_

_..."Get down," Kakashi yelled as tackled the bridgebuilder. A civilian could not be expected to react to such a threat quick enough on their own. "Well, well," a deep voice called, "Kakashi of the sharingan. No wonder the demon brothers failed."_

**AN: This arc has almost no diversity between fics &amp; it's irritating to write because of how repetitive it seems. I'll make this as brief as I can.**

**Read and review.**

_**Chapter 23: The Fight For Icha Icha**_

A chakra enhanced mist flooded the area as the genin took defensive positions around the bridgebuilder. They had no place in a fight between elite jounin. "Zabuza Momochi... Would you let us pass if I lent you my icha icha? It's limited edition &amp; author signed," the scarecrow said with a hopeful smile. Zabuza rose a non-existent eyebrow and scoffed. Just who did that cyclops think he was?

Tensions in the air grew heavy as the demon of the mist paused dramatically. "I'll settle for nothing less than an entire set! How dare you mock me," he growled, charging forth with his giant sword. "Just for that, I'll be prying it from your dead fingers!" Two words could be used to describe the situation. Poor Kakashi.

"Bear," A sweet voice called, "shall we engage?" Presently, the ANBU team stood by awaiting orders from their leader. Obito exhaled sharply and shook his head. "Zabuza has a low jounin level partner in the trees over there. A young lady by the name of Haku. She is from the Yuki clan. Snake. Fox. Capture her alive. Cat &amp; I will assist." Two sets of smoke clouds later, they were gone.

The demon of the mist swung his sword in hopes of cutting his opponent in two, only to be blocked by two standard ANBU issued katana. "Cease your attacks. Both of you. On behalf of the leaf village, we are prepared to offer you a deal, Zabuza." Now this was interesting. The ANBU received special orders, directly from the Hokage. Anything they said had the same level of credibility as their leader.

So, if the current Hokage had a reputation for lies &amp; deceit, their ANBU weren't to be trusted. However, that was not the case. Hiruzen was known for his kindness and love for peace. Zabuza jumped back and gave a small nod. "Our lord Hokage wishes to grant you sanctuary within the village. You can say goodbye to a live on the run. That may not be an issue for you, but I'm sure you don't want to subject that young girl to such a life."

The ex-seven swordsmen member's eyes widened. ANBU units were generally groups of four. Two of them were nowhere to be found. Had they taken his protege down already? Was this a threat? As if reading his mind, the bear masked ANBU responded. "She is unharmed. Should you decide against taking our offer, we will allow you two to leave without incident. As I'm sure you know, the leaf holds bloodlines in high regards. No harm will come to either of you, whatever you choose... What's it going to be?" Zabuza's posture relaxed slightly. "I will accept your offer."

"Good to hear it. We are planning to help restore order in the mist &amp; you are more than welcome to be a part of our efforts, when the time comes." There was one more thing that needed to be taken care of before the group could head back to the village. Wave needed to be rid of Gato. It was quite a simple task. The man had hundreds of mercenaries but they were simple bandits at best. Easily taken care of. With the town restored to its proper glory, endless possibilities arose and _not all of them involved trade. _

**AN: The Naruto manga has ended for those who don't know. I feel like the ending was really rushed but it was satisfying nonetheless.**

**My apologies for the wait. This chapter was so annoying.**

**Anyone catch the foreshadowing at the end? What do you think it means?**


	24. Chapter 24

_**Naruto Uzumaki: Rise To Greatness**_

_...Had they taken his protege down already? Was this a threat? As if reading his mind, the bear masked ANBU responded. "She is unharmed. Should you decide against taking our offer, we will allow you two to leave without incident. As I'm sure you know, the leaf holds bloodlines in high regards. No harm will come to either of you, whatever you choose... What's it going to be?" Zabuza's posture relaxed slightly. "I will accept your offer."_

**AN: Sorry for the wait. This chapter's longer than usual so that should make up for it.**

**I'm a little late but happy new year. xD**

**Read and review.**

_**Chapter 24: A New Hokage!**_

_Hiruzen's Office_

The two teams were gathered in the Hokage's office, along with the new arrivals. "Lord third," a bear masked ANBU called, "The mission was a success. The bridge was built. Wave country has bounced back. Plus, we have several new recruits. The demon brothers were an unexpected bonus."

"Understood. Cat, Take them to the Uzumaki compound," The old man ordered. "I trust your judgment completely. Now, for another matter. I have a new mission for the four of you, once you regroup. The land of lightning is having a real bandit problem in one of their civilian villages. Kumo has no problem dealing with it, as I'm sure you know. However, it has been decided that the best option here is to make this a joint mission in order to strengthen our ties. Depart in 1 hour. In the meantime, gather the villagers and all of our shinobi."

The whole village had gathered in front of the third. They stood quietly, having great respect for the man. It was rare for such a meeting to be called. This could only mean one thing. There was an important announcement to be made. "Today, I am going to be naming my choice for the fifth Hokage. My successor will be Itachi Uchiha. He will take over for me once he learns the duties of a village leader." Unfortunately, nobody noticed the silent departure of a root ANBU from among the crowd.

_Secret Root Base_

"Lord Danzo, Itachi Uchiha has been named as the fifth Hokage. What are your orders?" The normally stoic man was enraged. How dare Hiruzen allow an Uchiha to become Hokage? It was foolish! The Uchiha were unstable! At least, that's what the man believed. "Dispatch teams 4 and 5. Itachi may be strong, but he will not be able to take on so many high level opponents. After we crush him, I will rise to power!"

The warhawk slammed his cane into the ground in frustration. He only had five teams of root ANBU left, not counting his personal guards. Luckily for him, he had anticipated losing his men in the base back in the leaf village &amp; had reserve ninja elsewhere. There was a lot riding on this mission. Danzo could not obtain any more operatives. Should it fail, there would be a major setback. That was not something he could afford. The mission had to succeed, no matter what.

_Hiruzen's Office_

"Homura. Kotaru. My decision is final. He may be young but he is the best suited to replace me. Jiraiya is too busy seeking women and Tsunade is lost. I do not have time to wait for things to change." Homura frowned. Had the third already forgotten the fact that the Uchiha intended to overthrow him a few years ago? "You've grown soft, Hiruzen. The Uchiha will bring ruin to this village. You've just caused our demise." The old man shook his head softly. No. Itachi was different.

_Uchiha Compound_

Itachi had a long day. He had became Hokage. Obito had relieved him of his clan head fill in duties and assigned Shisui to take over. The upcoming fifth lay in bed, wide awake thinking. There was lots to be done and he would have much to match up to, knowing who his predecessors were. Something pulled him out of thought. He was no longer alone.

The new kage frowned, sensing their ill-intent. "You know, this wouldn't be a smart place to do battle. You will rally the entire Uchiha clan and then the entire leaf village. Even if you somehow managed to kill me before I received aid, you would not make it out alive. I have a better idea. Why don't we take this somewhere else? More open space and the winner will survive, assuming they aren't gravely injured in our fight." A root-nin came out of the shadows and nodded silently, accepting the proposition.

_Cloud Village_

The Raikage had planned to send one of his best teams. Truthfully, he could send whoever he wanted but it would be a good idea to have the leaf's elite gain experience working alongside his own. While the cloud village put emphasis elsewhere, they were able to recognize the strength in good teamwork. Other than that, there was _one more reason _for the specific staffing. A cat-like girl, a busty blonde, a red head, and a _very _deep thinker. "Team Yugito, meet the leaf-nin at the gate. It is time to begin your mission."

_Somewhere In The Land Of Lightning_

The two teams were hidden from sight, watching over a small town. According to their intel, bandits would come through and raid once a week. Today was the day. "As an act of trust, we have been permitted to take off our masks during this assignment. Your Raikage has been informed of this as well. I am Obito Uchiha," the leaf squad leader announced as he took off his mask. "This is..." One by one they removed their ANBU masks, each saying their name.

The cat-like girl gasped softly at the sound of Naruto's name, catching the attention of her teammates. She looked down slightly and shadows covered her face. "Lady Yugito, what's wrong," Karui asked, "You know him or something?" Yugito chuckled humorlessly. "Something like that." Almost as soon as her emotion had shown, it was gone again. "Let's get started. A bandit approaches."

Naruto's eyes narrowed but he said nothing. In a burst of speed, he had his katana pointed toward the single bandit's throat. The man was terrified. He was no match for any ninja. He had to get away! The bandit ran in hopes of escaping whatever wrath he had called upon himself. Red chains shot out of the young Uzumaki, holding the man tightly in place. "Tell me where your camp is and I'll let you live." Naruto had no intention of killing the man, not that he knew that.

This was a tricky situation. Ninja were known to deceive and lie and were untrustworthy. However, the information the bandit had was his only card to play. "I'm just a scout. I check the villager's resources and that sort of thing. The camp is three miles north of here, in a swamp." Naruto struck the man in the neck, knocking him out. If his story checked out, he would set him free.

The two teams hadn't moved an inch. One ninja was overkill enough. As Naruto returned, he addressed the group. "The camp should be three miles north of here, in a swamp. Obito, would it be alright if you guys continued the mission without me? I need to speak with Yugito in private." Anko huffed jealously and Yukimi turned pink. It was fairly obvious what she was thinking. Despite their feelings, they would listen to Obito no matter what.

"Very well, we should be back shortly. No need to catch up with us." Team Yugito shrugged in indifference, and took off alongside Team Obito. They trusted the Raikage's judgment and would consider the Leaf as allies. Besides, if that Naruto kid tried anything, Yugito would be able to handle it no problem. She was one of the Cloud village's most powerful ninja, after all.

_**"Just look at his expression, Kitten. He seeks answers. I think you should really talk to him. There's something different about this one. He holds the nine tails within him. If there is one person who understands what you've went through, it'll be this boy." **_Yugito hadn't planned on telling the young Uzumaki anything but the two tails had given her new insight. Maybe she would tell him after all.

"Listen, Naruto. I am the jinchuriki of the two tails." She paused, awaiting a reaction of some sort. Unfortunately, there was none. He didn't look surprised or disgusted. Which was enough to confirm the information she got from the cat demon. Other than that, it also was likely that he was in contact with his own tailed beast. It would explain how he seemed to know about her in advance. "Our villages have setup an arranged marriage between us to strengthen ties."

That did it. She got the reaction she was looking for. His eyes widened slightly, for only a moment before he regained his composure. "I see. That's disgusting. I will be talking to my Hokage when I return to my village. I will have this canceled if at all possible. The whole thing is just wrong."

This was shocking. Most guys, even his age would have killed for this opportunity. She was a beautiful young woman and frankly, it was a blow to her pride that he didn't seem to care. "What's that? Am I not good enough for you," she growled. Naruto rose an eyebrow as she began to turn animalistic, taking a stance on all fours. **"I should kill you for your disrespect," **she roared, charging toward Naruto.

Chakra chains shot out of his abdomen, subduing the hormonal girl. He stalked up to her and traced his finger across her chin. "That wasn't very nice, you know. I'm not a big fan of forcing things onto people. I've experienced that burden every day of my life &amp; wouldn't want to subject others to it. Don't get me wrong though, you're very pretty," he said as he leaned in close.

Yugito turned red. It wasn't just out of embarrassment. She was finding herself turned on. Maybe it was the chains. Maybe it was the fact that he really was different from all the others guys she knew. Or of course, it could have been the perverted cat demon that was planting images into her head. _"Damn you, Matatabi. Not now!"_

"I hate to interrupt," Obito called, "but the mission is complete. Save the kinky sex play for another time." Anko punched Naruto into the ground. How dare he not include her?! "K-kinky sex p-play," Yukimi asked, red as a tomato. That was just too much for her to take. She fainted right away.

**AN: Naruto has unlocked 1 part of his bloodline &amp; will get the rest later on. As a reminder of the poll, he will also be getting an Amaterasu defense kinda like Gaara, and a special doujutsu from the divine being.**

**I need ideas for the doujutsu so please PM me or leave it in a review! :)**


	25. Chapter 25

_**Naruto Uzumaki: Rise To Greatness**_

_...The new kage frowned, sensing their ill-intent. "You know, this wouldn't be a smart place to do battle. You will rally the entire Uchiha clan and then the entire leaf village. Even if you somehow managed to kill me before I received aid, you would not make it out alive. I have a better idea. Why don't we take this somewhere else? More open space and the winner will survive, assuming they aren't gravely injured in our fight." A root-nin came out of the shadows and nodded silently, accepting the proposition. _

**AN: In case anyone's wondering, Yugito is 15 as of right now.**

**Read and review.**

_**Chapter 25: Two Weeks**_

_Adandoned Uchiha Stronghold_

"We're here. If I can't defeat you all, I don't deserve to become Hokage anyway. Let's put it to the test, shall we?" The eight root-nin jumped down, surrounding the young Uchiha in preparation for a combination attack. "Water style: drilling water spears!" It was a smart idea. Sending water ninjutsu specialists to fight an Uchiha as they were primarily fire users. The spears impaled Itachi one by one until he burst into crows, cawing as they flew away. The fifth was airborne, coming down upon the root-nin below. "Fire style: great fireball!"

"Water style: water wall," they shouted in response. It took their combined efforts to hold back the massive inferno above them. Steam poured everywhere, obscuring the view of the battlefield. Itachi jumped up through the mist and inhaled deeply. "Fire style: phoenix fire jutsu!" A series of mini fireballs shot into the cloud as the young Uchiha landed on a nearby tree branch.

As the steam cleared, five ninja remained. The new Hokage jumped down in front of them. "If you would like to withdraw, I will not stop you. I've never been a fan of fighting." Danzo's men stood impassive, not phased by their fallen comrades. Itachi sighed in disappointment. "Very well. It's time I get serious. Mangekyo sharingan!"

He was able to catch two of them in the tsukuyomi. Danzo had warned them about this but there just wasn't enough time to receive proper training to combat to sharingan. Itachi would be sworn in in less than a day. They had to take him out now before he became Hokage officially. He would be too protected then &amp; it would be almost impossible to get to him.

"Water style: water cannon!" This was their trump card. The most powerful attack in their arsenal. The young Uchiha jumped out of the way as the ground dissolved, alongside the incapacitated ninja. That was a problem. Itachi had planned on taking captives. It was obvious to him who was behind this attack and had hoped on finding Danzo's location.

These ninja were powerful but they lacked emotional motivation. Their will was almost gone and thus they had been prevented from reaching their full potential. It was sad, really. A waste of talent. "Amaterasu!" Black flames shot toward the root-nin as they sped away in an attempt to dodge. However, it wasn't that simple. Anything Itachi saw lit up and they just weren't fast enough to get out of his range of vision. Screaming was heard and that was the end of that.

_The Land Of Lightning_

Naruto groaned as he rubbed his throbbing head. Anko really did a number on him. Yukimi was awake now but was giving him the silent treatment. Our snake-like friend, on the other hand, had no problem speaking her mind. "Listen, Ruto. We've already decided that we are going to be the ones to help you revive your clan someday. Don't think you can just go off and do whatever you want with whoever you want."

"Eh?! I was just restraining her so she wouldn't try to kill me!" Anko smirked seductively. Maybe she'd tease him a little bit. These things came naturally to kunoichi. "You know... The two of us aren't going to be enough to restore a clan. You're going to need quite a few more women. Besides," she said as she leant toward his ear, "I wouldnt mind a plaything of my own." Naruto blushed at the thought.

_Hiruzen's Office_

"Lord third, the mission was a success. Everything went as planned. I would like to discuss the chunin exams that will begin in two weeks time. There is something critical that you must know." Hiruzen frowned. That couldn't be good news. "Very well. Cat, Fox, Snake. Go find Itachi Uchiha. He has been missing for about an hour." Poof. Smoke. All that nonsense.

_Hidden Root Base_

"Lord Danzo, it would appear that teams 4 and 5 have failed. There were eight casualties." The warhawk remained quiet. On the inside, was another story. He was beyond pissed. "Have our scout setup a meeting with Orochimaru. I have an idea of how I want to handle this new development. The leaf must be torn down and built anew. With me as the leader!"

_Uchiha Compound_

Itachi had made his way home. He was very tired and was in need of a good rest. Hopefully he wasn't gone long enough for anyone to notice. Because if they did, he would have a lot of questions to answer. Questions he did not wish to answer at the moment. Team Obito's first stop was at Itachi's house. What luck. "Lord Hokage, the third would like to know where you have been." The Uchiha groaned. Could this day get any more annoying? "I was disposing of Danzo's assassins. Now. I am tired and would like to get some rest. Please leave me."

_Hiruzen's Office_

"To sum things up, Orochimaru will join forces with the sand village and attack us during the chunin exams. They intend to enter their jinchuuriki into the exam as well. The sand shinobi are not happy with the Wind Lord's decision to hire us for missions instead of them. Orochimaru will impersonate the Kazekage so there is no point in trying to negotiate as does not care for bettering their situation."

This was a lot to take in. The old man sat still for a few moments before responding. "I see. Then you must enter your team into the exams. Should he make an appearance at any point, their presence will be invaluable. At the least, they should be able to hold him back until help arrives. Your role will be to assist Skikaku in forming the battle plans. I will deal with Orochimaru myself!"

Three ANBU members landed knelt in front of the third. "Lord Hokage, the fifth has been found. It would seem that Danzo has resurfaced. Apparently, he sent assassins after Itachi who have already been dealt with." The third nodded at the news. With the bomb that just been dropped on him in mind, this just wasn't that big of a deal.

"I will assign an ANBU squad to watchover him. In the meantime, Team Obito. I have a new mission for you. In two weeks time, you will infiltrate the chunin exams. There is a chance you will encounter Orochimaru of the sannin or even another jinchuuriki. You are the only ones I can entrust such a task to. The other genin already know you so you have the perfect cover. Train as hard as you can. We're going to need you at full strength."

**AN: Hopefully, I'm getting better at writing fight scenes.**


	26. Chapter 26

_**Naruto Uzumaki: Rise To Greatness**_

_..."I will assign an ANBU squad to watchover him. In the meantime, Team Obito. I have a new mission for you. In two weeks time, you will infiltrate the chunin exams. There is a chance you will encounter Orochimaru of the sannin or even another jinchuuriki. You are the only ones I can entrust such a task to. The other genin already know you so you have the perfect cover. Train as hard as you can. We're going to need you at full strength."_

**AN: I'm going to get straight to the point. The written test has very little change &amp; I don't need it to further the plot so I wont bother wasting your time.**

**Read and review.**

_**Chapter 26: The Forest Of Death**_

Team Obito leapt from tree to tree as they advanced through the forest of death. There were two chakra signatures worth noting. Two people that were above even jounin level. The undercover ANBU members were given both scrolls from the start. They would not need to participate, only keep tabs on those two. "Kurenai's team is hiding in the bushes over there. We should only move in to assist if this 'Gaara' kid attempts to attack them. The hidden rain village's shinobi are none of our concern. Not worth blowing our cover." Kiba could potentially recognize them with his strong sense of smell. It was a bit harsh, but Naruto was right. They had an important mission which took priority.

The sand jinchuuriki killed the rain-nin and was persuaded to move on. They were headed toward the tower and required no more observation. There were other pressing matters. Such as the second high level chakra signature. "They're suppressing their power greatly so I can't be certain of their strength level. It's hard to say what we're up against. It could very well be Orochimaru himself."

Anko saw red. She hated the man with a burning passion. He took her out of the village and left her for dead once she wouldn't go along with his evil plans. "Naruto, he or she appears to be going after Sasuke's team. Shall we pursue?" With Obito out of the picture, Naruto was in charge. As much as Anko wanted to rush in, the training they had all received gave them the ability to put emotions aside whenever the situation called for it. "Yes. Let's give them aid. ANBU masks on."

Sakura was knocked out by the time they got there. Sai was on his last legs. Danzo's training had served him well. It kept him alive but that was about it. There was not much he could do to such an opponent. Sasuke was trying to bargain for his team's safety. Not much luck there. Naruto figured it was time for a gamble. Find out who they were dealing with. The person had the appearance of a woman but looks could be deceiving. If it was the sannin member, he would likely reveal himself. The man had enough faith in his ability to kill any witnesses that he would feel no need to keep up the lie.

"Orochimaru of the Sannin. Leave this place at once or we will be forced to eliminate you. Genin, leave this area at once and continue your exam!" The woman laughed creepily. "So you've figured it out, have you? I suppose there's no need for this any longer." The face peeled off, showing the person's true identity. "My, my. The ANBU black ops themselves have come to deal with me. The leaf's elite. I'm afraid now I'll have to kill you. I can't have you calling for help, now can I? Besides, once I've finished here, I can give chase. I have to say, I'm fond of such games. I am a predator, after all. Wind style: great breakthrough!" A blast of wind was launched at the ANBU members.

Yukimi and Anko prepared the first line of defense. "Earth style: mud wall!" Two barriers rose out of the ground side by side. The three were not arrogant enough to believe it would be enough so Naruto decided to increase the defensive power. "Water style: water encampment wall!" Pillars of water came out of the ground, swirling around the trio. The wind blast struck the mud wall and broke it up into chunks which were sent flying in all directions. The water wall only enhanced the speed of the ricocheting earth.

The rocks stabbed through the snake man who melted into mud. "Anko. It's been quite some time," Orochimaru said as he came out from among the trees. "I recognize your scent. To think you could have joined the ANBU at your age. It's impressive, really. I knew there was reason to let you live. You're rather entertaining. Now. The great breakthrough is only a C rank technique. The mud wall and water encampment wall are B ranks. I even held much back in that attack. Do you see how outclassed you are? Feel despair as I crush you like the insects you are! Hidden shadow snakes!"

Orochimaru managed to catch them all in his jutsu. He was a sadistic man and got much enjoyment from torturing his enemies. Psychological warfare was a personal favorite of his. He would kill them, just not so soon. "Wind style: air cutter!" Naruto had freed himself. Yukimi turned to smoke to escape her snake bind and Naruto was there in an instant. "Seal!" The young Uzumaki sucked the Iburi girl into a piece of paper. Anko just laid on the floor, immobile. Her past history had her traumatized. This man had done unspeakable things in front of her. Memories were resurfacing and she was going into shock. "Seal!"

"You're a fool, you know that? It took the three of you combined to hold back even my weakest of attacks. Do you have a death wish," the sannin asked in amusement. Naruto shook his head. "I'm the strongest of the three of us. I don't intend to risk their lives in this fight. They would only get caught in the crossfire. I will be your opponent."

"How noble," Orochimaru said sarcastically. "I suppose after I kill you I can conduct experiments on that smoke girl. You've made things very convenient for me. I never planned on killing my dear Anko. I suppose I should be thanking you for giving them to me on a silver platter. Summoning jutsu!" Once the smoke cleared, the greatest traitor the leaf village had ever known could be seen sitting on top of a giant snake.

**AN: What did you think? :)**

**I'm going to try for a steady two chapters a week. I haven't decided what days to do so suggestions are welcome.**


	27. Chapter 27

_**Naruto Uzumaki: Rise To Greatness**_

_..."How noble," Orochimaru said sarcastically. "I suppose after I kill you I can conduct experiments on that smoke girl. You've made things very convenient for me. I never planned on killing my dear Anko. I suppose I should be thanking you for giving them to me on a silver platter. Summoning jutsu!" Once the smoke cleared, the greatest traitor the leaf village had ever known could be seen sitting on top of a giant snake._

**AN: Skipping the preliminaries.**

**Read and review.**

_**Chapter 27: The Chunin Exam Continues**_

Naruto frowned. "Using summons, eh? That hardly seems fair. I might as well return the favor. Summoning jutsu!" Orochimaru's eyes widened. Summoning contracts were a rarity to begin with. As far as he knew, the only contracts the leaf held were the monkeys, the slugs, and the toads. This was something much worse. It would be a problem, even for him. He was faced with two eight tailed foxes. "The level of chakra necessary to summon two creatures of such power is inhuman. You don't even seem winded. That on top of the fact that summons do not just allow anyone to summon them leads me to believe that I know your identity. Naruto Uzumaki! Jinchuuriki of the nine tails!"

One of the eight tailed foxed jumped into the air. Crushing the snake's head with his paw. **"There's no use in denying it, Kit. He's put everything together nicely. However, since he has done that, there's no way we can let him live. He could compromise everything! Hakai! Let's end this right now!" **The fox demons charged together sending trees and everything in their path flying toward Orochimaru. "Summoning jutsu!" A rather demonic looking wall arose from the ground, blocking the wreckage and the eight tailed foxes. Or so the snakeman thought. The fox demons broke through the barrier and kept coming. One snatched him up into his jaws and bit down, only to have the man turn into mud. **"Damn it! He's gone!"**

Two teams of ANBU arrived shortly after. "Fox. What is the status?" The demons had departed already but the air was still heavy with demonic chakra. A beacon for any and all ninja. "Orochimaru was here but he has fled. It would appear he was after Sasuke Uchiha. I must finish my mission. Report back to the Hokage." Poof. A thought just hit Naruto. What would happen when he unsealed his teammates? Would they be angry? Would they beat him? He did not see it ending well. "Seal release!" Yukimi's smoke quickly took shape and she had her arms crossed, a pout prominent on her face. Anko on the other hand had gotten over her distress &amp; was not happy at all. "Bastard!"

_Undisclosed Location_

A white Zetsu clone rose out of the ground. "Orochimaru, leader would like a report." The snake man scowled. He had only been allowed this 'extra curricular' in exchange for intel on the nine tails jinchuuriki. Luckily for him, he already had gathered some information. "Naruto Uzumaki is much more powerful than anticipated. He is a member of the ANBU black ops and carries a summoning contract." Of course, that was all Orochimaru would say. There were some specifics he would not disclose. Such as what the boy had managed to summon. Keeping things to himself furthered his own agenda. Zetsu nodded and descended into the ground. He knew something was up but the snake man had given him enough, for now at least.

_Chunin Exam Preliminary Room_

"The finals will be in one month's time. The matchups will be as follows: First round, Neji Hyuuga vs Naruto Uzumaki. Second round, Yukimi Iburi vs Kankuro. Third round, Temari vs Shikamaru Nara. Fourth round, Sasuke Uchiha vs Gaara. Winners will advance and be expected to fight again once the first four matches are concluded. Use the one month time period to improve your skills. Important figures from all around will be watching and you would do well to impress them. You are dismissed." Team Obito headed straight to the Hokage's office. Even though the mission status had already been reported, protocol was protocol.

_Hiruzen's Office_

The three knelt before the third, sporting full ANBU garb. "Team Obito," Sarutobi began, "your captain cannot make this meeting. He is very busy at the moment. Now. Let me get straight to it. You did very well. I could not have expected anything more from you. You fought against one of the legendary sannin and survived and that's not all. You even managed to make him retreat. I never could have imagined the three of you were capable of such a feat. Go home. You could use some rest, I'm sure. As soon as possible, I want you to begin your training. Advance as far as you can. You will be essential in this war." As our weary heroes made it home, Naruto remembered something _else_ that had happened that day.

_Flashback_

_ "So those are the ninja from the village Obito was telling us about. They're following Sasuke? Creepy. Hmm... Why don't we greet them? Who knows? Maybe we'll be able to gain some new recruits." The trio dove down from the tree they had been perched in, landing in front of the sound-nin. "You three. We know about your involvement with Orochimaru. You'll be working for us, now." Anko adopted one of her sadistic looks of glee. One of the few things she inherited from the snake-man. She planted a kunai into the two male's midsections, making them both collapse in a heap. She appeared behind the girl, holding a kunai to her neck. "Anko. That wasn't part of the plan. What the hell do you think you're doing?" Naruto's expression had turned serious._

_ She made a clicking sound with her mouth. "Tch. Ruto. Don't you know anything? These three will never be much help to us, they lack any potential. Besides, I thought I told you before. I want a plaything." The young Uzumaki rose an eyebrow. Had she really been serious about that? He cupped the female sound nin's chin into his hand. "What is your name, dear?" The shocked girl swallowed. She was the weakest link on her team. This group had taken out her teammates effortlessly. If she went up against them, she would certainly die. _

_ "My name is Kin. Kin Tsuchi. I will do anything you ask of me. Just don't kill me." She knew exactly what the two were talking about. The sound village was cruel. She was no stranger to sexual contact and to her credit, didn't even blush. "Seal her, Ruto. We'll figure this out another time." The Uzumaki sighed but did what he was told. "Anko. I am going to talk with her later. If she wishes to leave, I will release her. No questions asked. We are not running a slave ring. Do you understand me," he asked sternly. _

_ The purple haired girl was taken aback, slightly shocked by his change in attitude. She nodded slowly. In all honesty, this was a test. Due to her time with Orochimaru, she did not trust people easily. It made her ashamed but she would test people from time to time to be sure of their intentions. In the end, this reinforced her view of Naruto. He was a good man. She would be sure to come clean once they were finished with all of this bullshit._

_Flashback End_

**AN: I have an opportunity for those creative minds out there. I am eventually going to need some more challenges for Naruto to overcome. You all know the Akatsuki too well and I'm sure you'd like something fresh.**

**So now, I ask you to send me OC villain ideas. If it's well thought out I may use it. I'll give proper credit, of course.**


	28. Chapter 28

_**Naruto Uzumaki: Rise To Greatness**_

_..."My name is Kin. Kin Tsuchi. I will do anything you ask of me. Just don't kill me." She knew exactly what the two were talking about. The sound village was cruel. She was no stranger to sexual contact and to her credit, didn't even blush. "Seal her, Ruto. We'll figure this out another time." The Uzumaki sighed but did what he was told. "Anko. I am going to talk with her later. If she wishes to leave, I will release her. No questions asked. We are not running a slave ring. Do you understand me," he asked sternly. _

**AN: I guess two chapters a week is too much of a challenge for me. I am becoming increasingly busy. My apologies. I'll do what I can, nonetheless.**

**Read and review.**

_**Chapter 28: An Assault On The Leaf Village**_

_Flashback_

_ After a long day, Naruto had unsealed the sound girl. She looked up at him from her seated position on the floor. "Just who the hell are you? You're no genin, that's for sure." The young Uzumaki chuckled. It would have been much easier if he was dealing with an idiot. Unfortunately, that was not the case. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I suppose it is meaningless to try to hide my identity from you. Orochimaru already knows that much. Now. I do not wish to imprison you. You may leave at any time."_

_ Kin was faced with a situation she did not understand. Naruto didn't seem like he wanted to use her for sex. Or even for information. As far as she knew, once an enemy had was no longer useful to their captor, you were to dispose of them. It's how things were done in the hidden sound village... The freedom he was offering could be a lie. No. He genuinely meant it. "You are strange, Naruto Uzumaki... While I appreciate your kindness, I can't return to Orochimaru. That would be a death sentence. He does not tolerate failure and by losing my teammates I have done just that. Failed him. I think I will follow you, for now at least."_

_Flashback End_

_Chunin Exam Stadium - One Month Later_

"The first match between Naruto Uzumaki &amp; Neji Hyuuga will now begin." Naruto rose his hand. "I forfeit." One by one the matches ended before anything could happen at all. Unfortunately, there was a leaf-nin in every match so they wouldn't be able to get the enemy to waste chakra fighting themselves. Up in the Kage booth, the Kazekage was suspicious. "Lord Hokage, isn't this a time for your village to show off their upcoming ninja? What is the meaning of this?" The old man smirked. "Nice try, Orochimaru."

Feathers began to rain down from the sky signaling a genjutsu being cast over the arena. Metallic clanging could be heard as kunai clashed against one another. The snake man seized this opportunity to bring the third into his barrier. "I hope you've named a successor, old man. Because today is the day that you die." He leapt back and Hiruzen chuckled. "Orochimaru, for someone so bright you are a fool!" The illusion melted away and Obito stood tall, taking the third's place. "You think I would just stand by and let you kill him? It is you who will die here!" Orochimaru clenched his teeth. He had heard a bit about this Obito, character. There was a file on him but all it said was that he led Naruto's genin team. Wait a minute.

"According to the information on you I stole, you're in charge of a genin team consisting of Naruto Uzumaki, Anko Mitarashi, &amp; Yukimi Iburi. I met up with an ANBU unit in the forest of death. I was only able to determine two of their identities which just so happen to be your subordinates. I'm willing to bet that the third person of that ANBU group was your third genin. What a strange coincidence that I would also encounter you here. You must be someone very important. I'm quite lucky I have the chance to eliminate you. After I do that, I can deal with the old man. Summoning jutsu!" Coffins arose from the ground. They were marked, first, second and fourth. The doors swung open dramatically and smoke poured out.

_Flashback_

_ The divine being had met with Obito once more. He had tried to bring back the previous Hokage with his life note page.__** "Obito, there is one condition I have if you intend to use that for people so powerful. There must be balance in the world. If you bring them back, you must also revive the same amount of Kage for villages you are not allied with. A temporary revival is also acceptable in exchange for the return of a less powerful enemy. I leave this choice up to you."**_

_Flashback End_

The empty coffins collapsed and disappeared. "Are you surprised, Orochimaru? I know all about your resurrection technique and have countered it quite effectively. In case you haven't been informed, we have an alliance with the cloud village in the land of lightning. They were more than happy to assist us in our time of need, despite our past differences. I even found the ditch you dropped the Kazekage's body into. As we speak, the hidden sand loses morale. I have made arrangements for the body to be displayed to all. They will not fight while knowing that their leader is dead. Your sound ninja can't hope to stand against a single major village alone, but two of them? It's over. You lose!" The sannin member charged in frustration, drawing the grass cutter in hopes of slicing through Obito.


	29. Chapter 29

_**Naruto Uzumaki: Rise To Greatness**_

_...The empty coffins collapsed and disappeared. "Are you surprised, Orochimaru? I know all about your resurrection technique and have countered it quite effectively. In case you haven't been informed, we have an alliance with the cloud village in the land of lightning. They were more than happy to assist us in our time of need, despite our past differences. I even found the ditch you dropped the Kazekage's body into. As we speak, the hidden sand loses morale. I have made arrangements for the body to be displayed to all. They will not fight while knowing that their leader is dead. Your sound ninja can't hope to stand against a single major village alone, but two of them? It's over. You lose!" The sannin member charged in frustration, drawing the grass cutter in hopes of slicing through Obito._

**AN: I was really rushed writing this so please excuse any errors. It should be taken care of in a few minutes.**

**Read and review.**

_**Chapter 29: Finishing Up**_

_Flashback_

_ "I have made my decision. I will be making a temporary revival. In exchange for thirty minutes of the previous Hokage's time, I will give Iwa back four of their jounin. Ones that are rather symbolic to me. Taiseki, Mahiru, Kakko, and Azuma Shibito. I might even have to thank them for making everything possible, despite all the problems they caused for me long ago._

_Flashback End_

The hidden sand fled. It was a full retreat. Well, almost. Their jinchuuriki was going berserk. Temari &amp; Kankuro stood by unsure of what to do. Luckily, our Uzumaki friend was there to handle the situation. Gaara shot sand at Naruto who smacked it aside everytime it came close. He didn't even try to dodge. The sand fell limp at his feet puzzling the sand trio. "I might as well explain. I'm slapping seals onto the sand. Their function is to sap chakra which renders the sand under your control useless. Water style: tsunami!"

Water rose several stories high and smashed into Gaara's sand shield. As the water washed away, the one tail's jinchuuriki was in his partially transformed state. **"I'll kill you! Naruto Uzumaki!" **The crazed teen sprung forward, sand fists at the ready. He threw a punch, only to have it intercepted by Naruto's palm. The young Uzumaki slid his hand over the fist and grabbed Gaara by the wrist, pulling him in close. "Water style: water prison!" He wasn't going anywhere. Thank you Zabuza! "Gaara, you have two ways out of this. The first, you release your tailed beast which is the option I prefer because I'll get a good fight. Or, the second which is you just give up and I let you walk."

It was obvious which option he chose. **"I'm free! Finally, after all this time!" **Naruto might have said it would be a good fight but in reality, there was only a few ways he could deal with this. The one tails posed a great threat and he wouldn't be able to hold back. At the same time, he was limited if he wanted to minimize destruction to his home land. "Summoning jutsu!" Two four tailed fox demons were brought into the fight. "Hold the raccoon dog down! I'll end this myself!" They jumped into the air. Shukaku may have been slightly insane but he wasn't stupid. He had fought in plenty of battles. **"Oh no you don't! Drilling air bullets!" **One by one balls of compressed air were fired, hoping to shoot the foxes out of the sky.

They had slender but powerful forms and were very fast. Dodging even Shukaku's attacks was practically child's play. In moments, they were on top of him each holding a side. Naruto flew forth, his hand extended. "Seal!" He shouted as he made contact with the sand demon's mid section. **"No! I just got out! I want my freedom! AHHH!" **The tailed beast's chakra was suppressed and he vanished, leaving behind a completely exhausted Gaara. Jiraiya had taught Naruto well, and the two worked on projects together from time to time. He had surpassed the sannin member in the seal department. It truly was amazing. That particular seal had been designed as a precaution in case Naruto's seal ever leaked excessive demonic chakra or something else went wrong. But of course, it had other uses. "Stay away!" Gaara was in a vulnerable state, alright.

_Sound 4 Barrier_

The horizontal swing of the grass cutter went straight through Obito as if he wasn't even there, making Orochimaru's eyes narrow. "Is this another one of your cheap tricks? A genjutsu? The Uchiha are known for their powerful Genjutsu, among other things but I wont be fooled by such an illusion again." The snakeman pulsed his chakra, an advanced genjutsu breaking technique. He slashed once more only to find out that nothing had changed. "What do you think, Orochimaru? This is no cheap trick. I have obtained true immortality. Something you could only ever dream of! Amaterasu!" Black flames engulfed the sport that Orochimaru had previously occupied before he jumped back. "No! That's impossible! I am the only one capable of discovering such a power! ...Release the barrier! We're leaving!"

_Leaf Village Outskirts_

"Don't worry, I wont kill you. Look at your brother and your sister. They are terrified. Kankuro, Temari. Take him home. You three are family and should look out for one another. Love will you make you strong. ...You don't have to be alone any more, Gaara. We will be good friends, you and I. We understand eachother better than anyone else could ever hope to. Farewell..." With that being said, the young Uzumaki left. _**"Are you sure that was wise?"**_ Naruto chuckled mentally. _"Of course. He will be a powerful ally someday and we are definitely going to need him."_

_Obito's Battlefield_

There was a team of ANBU waiting outside of the barrier and they wanted answers. "Lord Uchiha, why did you let him go? Surely you know the danger he poses to our village?" Obito smirked. He actually did have a reason. "Orochimaru is a member of the Akatsuki. However, he has no real interest in their goals. I'm sure there will come a time when their plans conflict with his own and he is forced to rebel against them. If we are lucky, they will thin their own numbers out."

_Hiruzen's Office_

There was a representative for the cloud village, and one for the leaf of course. A few other important ninja were present, such as the previous Hokage. "Between our two villages, there were no casualties. We crushed the enemy. I would like to thank the cloud village for their assistance. Our combined military strength was a real asset in this fight. I think it is time I retire. Itachi is more than ready to take over for me. There's one more thing I would like to address. We will be needing a new treaty with the sand village. I don't intend to pursue retribution or any payoffs for what has happened here today and the hidden sand will remain our allies. Does the cloud village have any objections?" The representative shook his head no. "Okay. That being said, I think we're done here. Minato. Go spend some time with your son."

**AN: Nagato is the Uzumaki clan head in case I haven't told you guys.**


	30. Chapter 30

_**Naruto Uzumaki: Rise To Greatness**_

_...There was a representative for the cloud village, and one for the leaf of course. A few other important ninja were present, such as the previous Hokage. "Between our two villages, there were no casualties. We crushed the enemy. I would like to thank the cloud village for their assistance. Our combined military strength was a real asset in this fight. I think it is time I retire. Itachi is more than ready to take over for me. There's one more thing I would like to address. We will be needing a new treaty with the sand village. I don't intend to pursue retribution or any payoffs for what has happened here today and the hidden sand will remain our allies. Does the cloud village have any objections?" The representative shook his head no. "Okay. That being said, I think we're done here. Minato. Go spend some time with your son."_

**Read and review.**

_**Chapter 30: Reunion**_

_Flashback_

_ Once the preliminaries had ended, Hiruzen met with his advisors. "Obito, Shikaku, I believe Naruto is old enough and has enough strength to protect himself effectively. It is time we reveal his heritage. The boy deserves that much. After the war one month from now, I will spread the word."_

_Flashback End_

"Minato had a son? Who is it?" Just about everyone in the Hokage's office was pestering Hiruzen for information. There was one person who wasn't curious at all. The Cloud-nin. That was odd. You would think another village would be very interested in such information, allied or not. "What're you looking at? The leaf must be the only village that doesn't know about Minato's son. It's funny since he's lived there the whole time and all. Naruto Uzumaki looks just like the yellow flash. This must be the worst kept secret in the entire elemental nations. I mean, it was only even kept from konoha's own people. I'm sure even Onoki knows. That shouldn't be a problem now, though. He would have done something already if he was going to."

_Uzumaki Compound_

Naruto had a long day. He was up against a tough opponent and could use some rest. As soon as he arrived at the Uzumaki compound, he heard a noise behind him. "You must be pretty skilled. I wasn't able to sense you until you were right behind me." He turned around to see an older version of himself. "Who the hell are you?" A beautiful red haired woman came out from behind the Naruto look-alike. Obito had made four exchanges. Naturally, there were four temporary revivals to match. "Ruto, I'm your mother. My name's Kushina Uzumaki. This is your father, Minato Namikaze."

Shadows fell over Naruto's face. What kind of cruel trick was this? Who would do something like this? "No! You're both dead! My parents died years ago!" The fact that they were such renowned ninja didn't even matter to Naruto. Not to mention the obvious resemblance. They definitely were his parents. "Ruto, you're right. We're dead. We wont be able to stay for long but we should make use of the time that we do have. I'm sure you have questions. Don't you want to know why you were chosen to hold the nine tails?"

The young Uzumaki shook his head. "I already know that. Sadly, you two died for nothing. The Kyuubi has a human form which Jiraiya just so happened to piss off with his perverted nature. She was coming after him. It was never an attack on the village. Everyone just kept attacking her and getting in her way. Don't think for a second that I've been influenced in any way! This whole story has been confirmed by Jiraiya himself!" The duo's eyes widened. After a few moments, the fourth chuckled humorlessly. "Such a fool I was. I'm truly sorry, Naruto." As the two began to fade, they embraced their son tightly. "No need to worry about me. Father, mother. I will make you proud."

_Itachi's Office_

Itachi had moved into Hiruzen's old office, officially taking his place as the fifth Hokage. His first act as village leader was to establish a new treaty with the hidden sand. An elder had agreed to meet with him and was currently there, working out the details. "The treaty I have proposed will be as follows: We will not seek retribution or any payout. We will not accept missions from the wind lord. Our alliance will remain intact. It will be as if this whole thing never happened. I ask that you take this letter with the details back to your village and talk it over."

The elder stood up, getting out of the guest chair. "There is no need. I am perfectly capable of assessing what is for the good of Suna. It is why I was chosen for this mission, after all. On behalf of the hidden sand, we accept your terms. They are more than generous. Good day to you, Lord Hokage."

_Clearing_

Obito had arranged another meeting with the divine being. There was something that just didn't sit right with him. "Alright, look. Naruto needs his mother. I can understand you not wanting to upset the balance by bringing someone Kage level into the world again but Kushina was only a jounin. That wont have much of an impact on things. Besides, Iwa just got 4 jounin back and the Kage that I temporarily revived didn't even do much other than stop Orochimaru from using one jutsu. That's not much of an equal equivalent."

**"Very well, Obito. I will grant your request. If Orochimaru were to have succeeded, it would have brought an imbalance. Unfortunately, I only have some control over your actions which is due to our contract. I have no say against the actions of others. You have done well, young Uchiha. It is only natural that I reward you for acting in my place. You may choose two jounin to revive. It will not take up your dwindling space on the life note page. Also, you may wait before making your second choice, if you'd like."**

**AN: Poll on profile. Do you guys want Kushina to join the harem? Vote now!**


	31. Chapter 31

_**Naruto Uzumaki: Rise To Greatness**_

...**"Very well, Obito. I will grant your request. If Orochimaru were to have succeeded, it would have brought an imbalance. Unfortunately, I only have some control over your actions which is due to our contract. I have no say against the actions of others. You have done well, young Uchiha. It is only natural that I reward you for acting in my place. You may choose two jounin to revive. It will not take up your dwindling space on the life note page. Also, you may wait before making your second choice, if you'd like."**

**Read and review.**

_**Chapter 31: A Change In Leadership**_

Team Obito sat before the fifth Hokage. They were a prestigious team with much experience and were given quite a few missions. "I wish to create an advanced medical facility. Your mission is to find and retrieve Tsunade. She is to be the head of this new addition to our village. Now, Obito. There is something I must ask of you, which will effect your team as well. I have read your file so I am aware of your _unique _situation involving Naruto. With that said, you are a clan head. I've become Hokage and no longer have the time to fill in for you when you're on missions. As I'm sure you know, the Uchiha clan is one that needs constant management under a watchful eye. Let me get to the point. I am going to assign a decorated and well seasoned ninja to temporarily take over leadership of your team."

Obito was shocked. He had not seen this coming. It was an obvious issue but he simply hadn't had time to think about it. He had been using Shisui to cover for him when his team had a mission. There was a problem with that, though. Shisui was a great asset to the village and would be needed for many tough missions that other ninja simply couldn't handle. The clan head had been lucky so far but that would soon change. "You have an excellent point, lord Hokage, but even so I will not leave _him _in the care of just anyone."

Itachi smiled. "I would expect nothing less from you. This will be your last mission together for a while, and it is an important one. By the time you get back, I will have decided on who I wish to appoint for your position, Obito. Good luck to you all."

_On The Road_

Naruto and his teammates had said nothing during the debriefing. They had wanted to speak up, of course, but with their training they had received from the ANBU black ops, they held their tongues. Feelings could wait, for now. All that matters is the mission. "According to Jiraiya's intel, Tsunade is in a town a few miles from here. We will be arriving there shortly. Prepare yourselves."

_Town In The Land Of Fire_

It did not take long for team Obito to find Tsunade. There was a very limited number of potential places for her to be. The team was lucky enough to find her on their first attempt, a bar in the middle of the town. She was accompanied by a woman with black hair that was holding a pig. The four appeared in front of the sannin member, stances set and ready for anything. "Tsunade Senju. By order of the Fifth Hokage of the village hidden in the leaves, you are to return immediately. You are to become the head of a new medical division, an expansion that will eventually include a medical ninja into every squad."

Tsunade snorted. There was a time when she would have been all over such an opportunity but now, she could care less. She was done with the village. "A fifth Hokage? So the old man _finally _stepped down. I wonder what kind of idiot would accept the offer to become his replacement... but I must say... For whoever they are to have sent the ANBU black ops after me they can't be all that dim. However, you'd better have a backup team if you want any chance of success on this mission. If you want me to return, you'll have to force me back but the four of you wont be enough," she said smugly. "Come. Let's take this outside."

The group left the bar and stood silently in the street."Lady Tsunade," the blonde's companion called, "wouldn't it be better to just give it a chance? It's exactly what you've always wanted. My uncle and your brother... You haven't forgotten about them, have you? If such a program was around back then... They could have been saved. Surely you'd want to prevent others from suffering such tragedies as the ones you've experienced!"

"Shut up Shizune!" The busty blonde charged forward, cocking back her fist in preparation for a chakra enhanced blow. The fox masked ANBU quickly handed the team leader two slips of paper. Bear then closed the distance between himself and the sannin member. He made no attempt to dodge her attack, much to her surprise. But that wasn't the only thing that shocked her. Her fist went right through him! Obito slapped a seal onto her right arm and left leg, making the slug princess collapse in a heap.

"A damn paralysis seal? You think that will keep _me_ down?" She slowly stood shakily to her feet or at least tried to until she was met by the sudden appearance of our snake masked ANBU member. "Hidden shadow snakes!" Tsunade's eyes widened as she was bound tightly. "That's Orochimaru's Jutsu... Then you're..." Fortunately, she was not allowed to finish that sentence. Yukimi's smoke entered her throat and sucked the oxygen out of her lungs. As soon as the medic lost consciousness the smoke was expelled from her body. "Just who the hell are you guys?" Tsunade's assistant asked in disbelief.

**Poll results: Should Kushina join Naruto's Harem?**

**Yes - 34 Votes**

**No - 11 Votes**

**Not sure how hard it will be for me to write that pairing but I'll give it my best. It's what you guys wanted after all.**


	32. Chapter 32

_**Naruto Uzumaki: Rise To Greatness**_

_"A damn paralysis seal? You think that will keep me down?" She slowly stood shakily to her feet or at least tried to until she was met by the sudden appearance of our snake masked ANBU member. "Hidden shadow snakes!" Tsunade's eyes widened as she was bound tightly. "That's Orochimaru's Jutsu... Then you're..." Fortunately, she was not allowed to finish that sentence. Yukimi's smoke entered her throat and sucked the oxygen out of her lungs. As soon as the medic lost consciousness the smoke was expelled from her body. "Just who the hell are you guys?" Tsunade's assistant asked in disbelief._

**Read and review.**

_Chapter 32: Team Naruto_

_Itachi's Office_

"Yet another successful mission. You were able to bring down a member of the sannin without too much difficulty. She may not be on the same level as the other two but she is a fearsome opponent nonetheless. In light of this, Naruto will be the one to takeover as team leader. You will work under an ANBU captain by the code name of Yamato until you can find a suitable addition to your team as the fourth member. As for you, Tsunade, I expect you to get started right away. All academy ninja that do not seem to be suited for ninjutsu due to smaller reserves and things of the like will be sent your way. We can easily station one on every team under a jounin instructor alongside the other two members. I will be filling you in on some other information such as some details about this ANBU team and things you've missed in your absence. Obito, I know you consider yourself to be his protector, but he's ready."

The clan head paused for a moment, taking in the words of the village leader. He may not have liked the situation, but Itachi was right. He was ready. Plus, things would get easier for him with less responsibilities. "Very well, Lord Hokage. I wish to retire for the night if that's alright." He was expecting Tsunade to throw a fit or try to escape the first chance she got. It was a headache he didn't need to be the one ordered to stop her or calm her down. "Of course. Team Obito, you are dismissed." Poof.

Much to Obito's surprise, well, if he were there to see it, Tsunade was not plotting an escape. She wasn't even about to throw a fit. She was... Depressed. She simply looked out the window with a bitter expression. A broken woman. Broken by the pain of losing those that were close to her. She had left the village for years in the hopes of forgetting her past. " You know, Tsunade... That fox masked ANBU... He's Kushina's son. Naruto Uzumaki." Her eyes widened at that. "She gave birth to a son shortly before she died all of those years ago. I am aware that the two of you were very close. I'm sure such information is important to you. ...One more thing for now. I have someone I'd like you to meet." A woman with long red hair stepped out of the shadows. "It's been a long time, Tsunade."

_Uchiha Clan Ground_

Sasuke had taken a stroll by himself. He did that from time to time so that he could think. His father was killed. By the very man that had claimed his mother as his woman. It was a very fucked up situation if you thought about it. But even so, Sasuke was unsure how to react. Should he train to kill this Obito? Should he try to move past it? He wasn't close to his father but he had always wanted the man to acknowledge him. And yet... He was always cold to little Sasuke. The young Uchiha was conflicted. It was something that had bothered him for years.

"Sasuke Uchiha. Lord Orochimaru wants to see you. You'll be coming with us." His eyes widened. Four ninja stood in front of him, arms crossed. He didn't even notice their presence. "Sound ninja. You're the ones that attacked the leaf in the chunin exams. My older brother is the Hokage. There's no way I'd go anywhere with the likes of you." The humpbacked one smirked. "I was hoping you'd say that."

_Uzumaki Compound_

A red haired beauty was standing in front of Naruto. He sat on his bed, arms folded behind his head. "I wont even bother doubting you being here this time. The only ones that have access to my home are those of Uzumaki blood or those that we have allowed in. The seals will see to that. I just want to know... How? How are you here? And where's dad?" The woman smiled sadly. She could finally be with her son, even if his father was unable to join them. "Obito was able to negotiate my return... As for Minato... We weren't that lucky. I'm sorry, Naruto." He looked down but then shook his head. "I have you, mother. That's all that matters."

_Itachi's Office_

A chunin messenger burst into the village leader's office bearing an urgent expression. "Lord hokage! It's Sasuke! He's been abducted!" The Uchiha's mangekyou sharingan activated subconsciously. Even though his face remained as impassive as ever, he was filled with rage. His younger brother was the most important person in the world to him. He meant everything. Itachi quickly jotted down an encrypted message onto a scroll. "Get this to the ANBU commander immediately. There's no time to waste." Cue smokey exit.

Anyone that would be able to sneak into the leaf village undetected had to be very skilled. Especially if they could succeed during a high alert time such as the post chunin exam war. On top of that, to infiltrate the Uchiha clan grounds and abduct Sasuke... He wondered who he was dealing with. The third had been lucky to have received advance notice of Orochimaru's plans. It had allowed them to take minimal damage and that luxury meant that Itachi could send just about whatever team he wanted. There wasn't as much of a need to hold onto the most military might possible. It was just about the best case scenario he could hope for.

**AN: I hope my writing quality is still up there. I haven't practiced for quite some time. Sorry for the late update, been really busy.**

**In other news, I got married! :D**


End file.
